People and the World

When I stop to think about the world and its 7 billion people, it blows my mind. As I write this I’m waiting to get my oil changed. The TV in the room is on the news, covering the happenings in the USA. Storms spewing softball-sized hail, murder trials, gunmen holding kids hostage, ideas for Mother’s Day presents. All of these people are doing their own things. The mechanics are focusing on changing my oil. I’m sitting here writing. People are in jail, wishing they could have the freedom we have. Newscasters are making sure to smile and be charismatic as they deliver the news. As I went to the restroom, an attached business to this auto business is a dance studio and two girls were practicing their routine with a coach, totally immersed in their dance moves on a Saturday morning when a lot of people are still sleeping.

All of us are on a rotating sphere of rock and water and fire and air, and that sphere is rotating around a gigantic fireball, one of hundreds of billions of fireballs rotating around a gigantic black hole in the center of our galaxy, the nature of which is almost completely unknown. One theory states that within each black hole is another universe, and within each of the black holes in that universe is another universe, ad infinitum. The gravity around a black hole is so powerful that not even light can escape its force. Light can’t escape its force. That means as light passes near it, the light is sucked in. What does that even mean? This galaxy is a gigantic orb, one of hundreds of billions of orbs in the known universe. I wonder what other people/beings are up to right now on their spheres of rock, water, fire, and air. Is another person billions of miles away currently sitting in a chair with his world’s news playing?

When I think in these terms it makes me happy. It used to make me sad because I’ll probably never know the nature of the universe and if there are other people or aliens, for sure, elsewhere. It makes me happy because all of my problems seem insignificant in these terms. Usually we’re so tied up in our own daily lives that we don’t have time to think about the grand scheme of things. We truly can’t have that much of an impact on the universe, so why are we so worried? I’m not. All we can do is really enjoy our lives and try to enjoy our short time on this rotating sphere.

As I write this there are crazy beasts miles below the ocean surface, where there’s zero light, and they’re tied up in their own lives and survival. How different is the life of an angler fish from ours? The crazy-looking thing (although nothing in its environment knows this because there’s no light) has a little light coming off its head, and when it illuminates, smaller fish are attracted to it, and when they come close enough, the angler fish eats them. And it persists. So as I sit here writing this, the angler fish is “thinking”, “Ok I’m starving. Time to go fishing. Turn on the light lure…there we go. Ok here comes a little fish. Come closer…closer….yeah, just like that….BAM that’s what I’m talking about. Delicious! Ok light off, time to just hang out here and do absolutely nothing for a while ’til I’m hungry again.”

I started this post getting my oil changed Saturday, May 11th, around 11:15 am. Now it’s Monday, May 13th, 10 pm, and I’m sitting at my desk in my room about to go to sleep. I’ve done many fun things since then. Billions of people have done many interesting things. People have gotten married, had sex, given birth, cried, laughed, gotten drunk and suffered hangovers. People have died. What have you done? Have you done the things you wanted? Have you stressed about stupid things? I’ve done both. Mr. Angler fish has eaten a few meals, by himself, in total darkness, except for his little lighted lure.

As I type this, someone is in unspeakable pain, scared, about to die an early death. As I type this, a man and a woman are making love, completely wrapped up in a sexual dance, oblivious to the rest of the world. A dog sleeps, dreaming of chasing rabbits through a field. Here I sit, writing, imagining. And soon I will dream.