Whilst the planet is living in a state of change, and much uncertainty day by day, one thing that is certain is when looking up at the vastness of space, it reminds us that we are really no more than a minute blue blip in the ocean of space and time.
Marcus Aurelius’ stoic meditations “The View From Above” is one way of looking at our problems from a dissociated and broader perspective, almost trivialising issues as being less significant than first perceived. Aurelius happened to live through a pandemic that lasted for some 12 years! Fortunately for us today we have scientists, specialists and easier ways of collecting data to contain the spread and duration of COVID-19. People are working tiredlessly against the clock to understand and fight this invisible and miniscule virus. And all the while Comet Neowise continues on its path, an epic journey of 6800 years before it shall grace our skies again. Think about that, it will be in the year close to 9000 when it will make another appearance over Earth. Who knows how the Earth and those inhabiting it will be in the future? With time being ever so changing we cannot make judgements based on how things are today. Who would have envisioned the Earth as it is in 21st century whilst living in the Stone Age? Therefore, now is a time to grace our minds in HOPE. Hope that there is more equality, more collaboration, more respect, more thriving natural beauty…hope that Neowise will be met with awe and a deeper connection in the future, time and time again. That is until the Earth will finally be consummed by our swelling Sun when it is in its last phases of life. It’s time to embrace the idea of impermanence. Control what you can control and accept what you can’t.
And how about this for mind-bending awesomeness? Do you know which is the farthest thing you can see with your naked eye? It’s the Andromeda galaxy, a collection of a trillion stars lying 2.5million light years distant. Now that’s a blooming long way to be able to see an object through our eyes without the use of any instruments! Also known as M31, it is the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way. When we look at the galaxy we are actually seeing how it looked 2.5million years ago as it takes 2.5million years for its light to reach our eyes! Who knows how the galaxy actually is at this current moment in time or whether it exists in the spiral form that we know it as? And if we were miraculously able to go to the Andromeda Galaxy (just use your wonderful imagination here) and had the most powerful telescope ever to look back at the Earth, we would be seeing the Earth 2.5million years ago looking at Homo habilis, the”handy man” of the Early Stone Age running around and hoping not to be caught by some saber-toothed tiger!
As Comet Neowise carries on its course so do I and my family. We saw it last night (we run Astronomy tours) with a reduced group of mask-wearing people and it was like saying farewell to a dear friend as it is quite unlikely that we will see it again due to the change in weather conditions and the Moon washing out the sky. A closed chapter combined with nostalgic sadness.
I confess to worrying a lot lately, not so much about myself and my husband working with tourists and the possible risk of contracting the virus, but about the care of our young children should we both fall ill. I worry about our finances and the fact that it looks like a second wave is going to hit Spain soon. Just the prospect of another quarantine and not being able to earn enough money to pay the bills to have a roof over our head and food on the table from living on an island heavily dependent on tourism makes us reflect on our future. What we gain living here on the island of Lanzarote is more security healthwise (as it’s easier to isolate the virus on a small island) but we also run a risk of suffering economically if tourism is stopped as a consequence. It’s a double-edged sword. So now it’s time to look for a better balance for our health and finances. A growth mindset is in action and future orientating. Plus going out for a good run to keep the mind more balanced really helps.
We are going to take a leap of faith filled with hope to keep us going in these times of uncertainty. SO if you are still reading this to the end be prepared for some news coming very soon…it excites me and it scares the crap out of me at the same time.
Comments