Saturday, February 21, 2009

Wish



To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
William Blake "Auguries of Innocence"

I have always wished that there was a way to travel in space with just your mind but still feel as if you were flying and could see all that there was to see. To fly through the rings of Saturn, travel through our own galaxy and on to the next, find a wormhole, "see" a black hole, see a star exploding.

I have wished that I could understand physics and astronomy and understand the magic behind the universe. I read books on science written by science writers for the lay person and come away wishing I could have a do-over in my life and start again. Go to school to study this, but perhaps more from the philosophical side of things. It is fascinating to think that the study of the very smallest of particles in the universe could help us understand the biggest.

Living here in Temecula, which I love, I sometimes kid that I live in a bubble. The rest of the world is out there, somewhere, I guess, but I wish it would stop trying to so aggressively intrude on my little city. Doesn't that seem contradictory though? I guess that is a good reason to travel. To physically move beyond your own small piece of this earth and visit another. When it takes 11 hours of flight time to get to Rome, when you fly over the United States, over Canada, across the Atlantic and then swoop down to Italy, you realize how big the earth is. How very small you are and how small your own little bubble is. Then you click on a video like above--and please do--it is almost awe inspiring.

If wishes were stars, that would be heaven.

4 comments:

just a girl trying to find her place in this world said...

I think we all feel like we are in a bubble at certain times. Sometimes it feels safe and comfortable and sometimes it feels small and insignificant.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

True. I guess that is a lesson I am learning as I get older. Everyone has feelings of wondering what life is like outside of one's own personal bubbles but that it is hard to imagine moving outside of that space. I guess I just want everyone to appreciate the incredible world we do live in even if it seems scary.

Casey said...

But, we LOVE our bubble! It's well insulated!

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

Yes, I do love my bubble~!