“Our posturings; our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light.” - Carl Sagan
I’ve had many thoughts pass through my mind. Endless thoughts that chatter, that spiral, that it becomes irritating. I can’t stay still because of what I think. I can’t stop for a moment, and I can’t stop thinking of the many things that makes me question myself. The times where I stop and stare for a moment because I think of it again. The times where I stay up late at night because it catches up to me again. The times where I just don’t know what to do with myself because it’s there again. It visits, unsurprisingly without a knock, and because of it, I doubt myself. The times where I cry myself to sleep because maybe, just maybe… “Hi,” It says. “Oh,” is what I reply with. “It’s me again,” It continues. “I know.” Under my blanket is often the place it forces me to meet, under the sky’s dark gaze. After all, the moon has been waiting to shine its light on me, ever since it figured that I’d always be talking to myself at this time. It’s become common nowadays, a story that replays over and over again that it looks like I’ve gone back in time. I’ve accepted that I’d think like this non-stop. It doesn’t really mean that I like it, but it’s kind of there now. It’s not exactly something I can erase. I’ve come to it often, more often than I’d care to admit, more often than I’ve told anyone else of my wonderings. I’ve spent countless nights just thinking of it, even when I’d rather not. My mind wanders to it, and it came to the point where I kind of expect it. It’s me initiating the thoughts after all. “Are we that important?” I say, curling upon myself. “I don’t know. Are we?” It shrugs, unbothered. “There’s a whole universe out there. It exhausts even me to think of,” I sigh, pulling the blanket closer and tucking it under my chin. “A whole universe, eh? I mean, if the universe was a person, we’re easily a grain of sand. We, to them, could practically be passed off as almost nothing, and we think we’re still as important with a high position in this universe. Aren’t we funny lads?” It laughs, and I look away, releasing the blanket from under my fingertips to pull it up under my closed eyes. It’s gotten cold. Whether or not that be the reason I didn’t say anything in return, the question had been answered. A question that’ll get answered again tomorrow and the many days, weeks, years after that. Some days it’s harder than the rest, to think of these thoughts. We imagine ourselves to be so crucial to this universe, despite being simply a dot. Just as the world doesn’t revolve around one person, the universe does not revolve around us. We like to place ourselves in the center of spotlight because we believe we are privileged, we believe that a dot is something of significance to the vast universe, a place that is larger than we could ever imagine it to be. We have such a mindset that makes us out to be something, when to this, this place that I have no words for, is obviously so much more than us. What are we to the universe? A dot, among the many, many others. What do we think we are to it? The mastermind of its being. I don’t have to turn my head to know it’s there. “You’re back,” I said simply. “Like I always am,” it replies, simply as well. “Like you always are,” I repeated. It stayed quiet, a silence that can’t be named coating us. “Why are we so delusional? Why do we imagine ourselves on a pedestal?” It looked over at me and could tell I was frustrated and tired at this point. “Well, that’s just how we are, you know? Selfish. This place is all we’ve ever known, and I suppose we take pride from that. How else are we supposed to bring ourselves up other than put an image inside our head that to this universe we’re a dot that outshines the rest?” It says nonchalantly. I gazed at whatever was in my line of vision for a moment; I was so lost in thoughts that everything became temporarily undiscernible. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m right, aren’t I?” I wanted to be stubborn and say no, but I couldn’t. It was right. It’s strange that we’re like this. It’s strange that we’re so full of pride in a dot. We can’t justify a dot to the rest of the universe other than imagining our self-importance, our supposed advantageous position. We really aren’t what we think we are, are we? “Hey, why the ugly tears?” I wiped my eyes furiously with the blanket, only to see more tears appear. “I know they’re ugly. Leave me alone,” I managed to say, still trying to get rid of the signs that I was crying. “Sorry to spoil the fun, but I’m here because of you. Start talking,” It said, and I closed in on myself, sniffing. “We think we’re so high and mighty, but we’re just tiny specks to the universe. Do I really matter at all? Am I really anything to this place?” I say quietly, wanting to fall asleep already and forget what’s happening right now. It became silent, and I was scared for a moment. This silence is one that I don’t like. I heard a silent sound of movement, and then the air was filled with a voice again. “I think you’re forgetting something,” It said, and I felt bitter. “What do you mean? As if I could forget the universe is so much more than we could ever be…” I heard more movement, and suddenly my head turned. “Besides that. You know, there isn’t life anywhere else besides here,” I felt my eyes drop down. “No, hey, look. Where else is there life? Nowhere. Gee, guess what? You have one; you have a life. Isn’t that something… beautiful?” It said without any negativity, and I just stared, like I always did, and I thought on it. “Maybe we are some selfish creatures, maybe we think some outlandish thoughts, but we have life. Make your life something to you. You just need to, you know, give it that something.” I nodded weakly, and felt the tears coming back again. “Think on it. Take it into consideration, okay?” It turned around, and left. I really couldn’t stop the tears now. I wiped and wiped, but it didn’t stop anything. I hiccuped, and thought on it again, even though I knew it would probably would start the waterworks all over again. ”You just need to, you know, give it that something.” I smiled weakly, despite the tears that are still running down. ”-you know, give it that something.” “-you know,-“ I nodded again, slowly pulling the blanket beneath my eyes. “We really are small, despite what we think. We are not the main character of this long series as we put ourselves out to be. To the universe, we’re so much lower than we imagine. But, maybe I’m not so meaningless if I give it that something.” I thought of It again. “I think… I know.”
4 Comments
If I were able to take a piece of art from the Vancouver Art Gallery, I would take the collection of images I had seen in the room with the portraits of the famous Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol. I don't know the name of this artwork nor do I know who it's by unfortunately, as the room it was in was the last room my group visited, and time ran out after we were done doing the activity, plus the fact I did forget to look at the side information since I was quite busy looking at the artwork itself for the brief amount of time I had. The artwork was on the left of the huge text that said Ian Thom. The images contained people or a picture portraying situations of distress and the likes. The images, from what I remember, looked kind of cartoon like (not realistic humans) and were lined only in black. The only colour on the artwork was red, and each image contained at least a splash of the colour on it. The red wasn't a blood red, it was more so of a light, watercolour looking red, similar to the colours we used in our watercolour poppies. On a different note, all of the images were in separate frames, but all one artwork.
I would take this artwork home because I really enjoyed the concept of it, as well as the style the artist drew the pictures in. It spoke to me in a way that I was mesmerized by it. I suppose red was the only colour on there because that's usually the colour we think of in a situation of danger, stress, and the likes. Overall, the artwork was beautiful to me, especially the concept. Although all the art in the Vancouver Art Gallery was stunning, if I had to take an artwork home, this one is the one I would personally choose. There are many children around the world seated in their chairs, at their desks, studying about fractions, division, science, and the old ages; children who are learning and being educated. However, there are others, simultaneously, sitting down with no education. Those other children who aren't going to school because they simply cannot. There's a large group of children earning a future, but at the same time, there are kids who will be without one. A future in everyone's hands, is a future I would enjoy to see.
All around the world, there are people without an education. What will they do as they continue on through life? What kind of job will they attain when that time comes? These people may not have something to do in their lives! An education would improve their lives immensely. A child has dreams, a dream job. Many jobs have certain requirements, and those requirements will most likely include some form of education, or a course taken in university. How is it possible for them to maybe become an astronaut, to reach the stars they've always fantasized about? Going to school would greatly benefit their lives this way. Several jobs in the world may have an insufficient or not too huge an amount of people working in that field. This would better the world as well; who knows, these kids may want a job in that field that doesn't have a ton of people working in it. If these children succeed, and happen to strive for a career in such a department that needs more workers, then there would be an increase in numbers to people in jobs, and that would help our world. At the same time, these children have a chance to earn money for themselves. If they cannot afford an education, then there is the assumption that they really can't provide for themselves. There is a possibility that this is incorrect, but let's assume. Once they have an education, succeed, and achieve a career, they can have the ability to earn money and make a more desirable way of living for themselves. All in all, an alteration that is this can create a future for everyone. A future for dreaming children, a future for advancing, enormous world. A door with many possibilities that everyone can finally step through. A future, that can finally be, in everyone's hands. |
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