As I walked to work this morning, Venus gleamed below a crescent moon and stars faded in the predawn light. For those who know what their looking at, there is nothing more spectacular, nor more humbling, than the night sky.
Going about our short lives, focused on our personal needs, our families, our jobs and the events on this planet, we seldom stop to ponder our place in the Universe. Trying to make a difference in our own "world," we forget that we live on a smallish sphere that circles a medium sized star on an outer arm of a galaxy which is composed of billions of stars and which, itself, is one of billions of galaxies. Earth is but a grain of sand on the vast beach of the Universe and our lifespan is but a fleeting second in its history.
Yet, we persist in our efforts. We try to enjoy the time that we have, plan to experience the many wonders of this planet and do what we can to make it a better place. Afterall, it is our home. The night sky will always be there to keep our self-importance in check.
