Time Travels

Watching the Stars

“Stars, too, were time travelers. How many of those ancient points of light were the last echoes of suns now dead? How many had been born but their light not yet come this far? If all the suns but ours collapsed tonight, how many lifetimes would it take for us to realize we were alone? I had always known the sky was full of mysteries—but not until now had I realized how full of them the earth was.”

Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children)

The sky here at Lake Martin is wider than in the hills of Birmingham. Mars is shining brightly in the evening sky, distinguishable from all the others because of its red glow. All the autumn constellations are lining up right on schedule, as they have since human eyes could watch them. If you ever need a check on your ego, spend some time observing the night sky. It will remind you of just how small, brief, and insignificant we are in the great scheme of things. Just a blip, as it were.

Mother nature has many lessons to teach us. Sitting here, with the lake moving through it's early morning colors, I am reminded of lake escapades in times past. The family of my friend, Priscilla, owned a cabin on Lake James. Once or twice a summer, her parents would load us—boys and girls—into the back of their pick-up truck, and take us to the cabin. We would spend a long weekend swimming, tubing and dancing. We ate hot dogs and burgers off the grill. The boys slept in a big loft room upstairs and we girls all bunked together in one bedroom downstairs. Nobody got much sleep. Now, in my 70's, I still remember the smell and feel of the lake water, the buoyancy of the big black inner-tubes we floated on, and the anxiety, excitement and exhilaration of spending a whole weekend in the freedom of lake life. Like the stars, we, too, are time travelers.

As long as we have a planet on which to live, we will not be alone. The ancient skies are with us, predictable in their orbits, even when we are not. And the earth will put up with our careless excesses for as long as she can—because that's what mothers do with their children. In the words of Khalil Gibran: “And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” (The Prophet)

I hope you will notice the stars tonight. Mars, the mighty god of war, is making his journey across our nothern heavens, red cape flying behind and his bronze armor shining brightly. He is magnificent!

                                                            In the Spirit,

                                                                 Jane