Due to a looming deadline, I’ve spent the last couple days staring at images of planet earth from space. At first the process was all about details and facts – finding NASA or NOAA maps with simple, clear information. One after another images of earth spinned by, different details highlighted, different facts illustrated. And then they started to blend together in shades of blue and green and white. I zoned out (it’s to be expected after the 500th map.) I saw what has often been described as the ‘pale blue dot,’ for what it really is – a complex but decidedly insignificant part of a much larger picture.
I’ve always been terrified of outer space (to the point where I can not engage in any conversation on the subject.) It’s too large, too ambiguous. It makes me feel small. Starring at earth from above, I realized that I am small, and in some ways, my actions are inconsequential.
Maybe there’s a bit of peace in that. Maybe it makes protecting this little orb more important than ever. Small things should be cherished and protected, because more often than not, they can not protect themselves.
Yes, it’s an animated map, and a decidedly touchy-feely, inconsequential observation. But it makes me sleep better at night. And in the end, isn’t that what it’s all about.
