Tuesday, March 31, 2009

I'm No Environmentalist, but I've Found Green Peace

I stand in the doorway to forever, on the threshold of eternity. There is so much I do not know.

The lights above were new to me. Not because I had never seen stars, but because I had never seen so many. Though the night was green in color, it was no less dark, and the distant flames I was watching were even brighter than usual. Not an inch of sky was without one of these beautiful, timeless lights. But they aren't timeless, not really. In fact, the light that I saw was hundreds and thousands and millions of years old. And suddenly, I found myself in an old, old place, basking in this ancient light. I was more isolated, more alone, than I've ever been. But I felt free, weightless. In that instant I began to truly grasp how insignificant we are, as a culture, as a species, and as a planet. With all those stars so far away, we could simply disappear and the universe would carry on as if nothing had happened. We could, all of us, cry out in agony, but who would hear us scream? In some strange way this, too, was comforting. To know that in the end, no matter what happens, the outcome is already clear. Life on Earth has existed for a long time, and how little it has changed! No matter the state of the world, there will always be equilibrium in all things, given time. Yet although we have not moved even inches, we have traversed many millions of miles to get this far. I take solace in the knowledge that I am to contribute to this beautiful, endless cycle, and hope that one day, you will, too.

I stood in the doorway to forever, on the threshold of eternity. There was so much I did not know.

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Currently listening to:
"Black River Killer" by Blitzen Trapper