Monday, April 1, 2013

Meeting Saturn


saturn

I just returned home from an evening at Denny’s place.  Yeah, I should be sleeping, but this can't wait.  Maybe I could write tomorrow, but maybe sleep will kill the magic.

We had a nice dinner with friends, the children got to kayak around the lake some, and we got a little telescope time in before the sky clouded up again.  Not a lot of clouds, but enough.  So, the evening turned to rambling, thoughtful, humorous conversation under peek-a-boo stars.  I could devote an entire post to how enjoyable and comfortable it all was and how it satisfied (or maybe just viciously stirred up) some deep need of mine to connect with other human beings, but I will spare you.  When I finally gave in to my better and less interesting judgment that I should go home, Denny checked the time and realized that Saturn would be up and visible with the scope.  An unexpected treat for me.


A few months ago Denny introduced me to Jupiter.  I clearly remember my first glimpse of those red bands and the nearby tiny points of light I was told were its moons. I unexpectedly fell in love.  Meeting Saturn tonight was like meeting someone you have heard things about and have looked forward to meeting, wondering if they would be as impressive as you expected.  When I stepped up to the scope I thought briefly several guys I’d met when I was a teen, first online and later in person.  Thankfully, no awkward expectations here!  Saturn was…  wow.  Unreal.  So bright, so beautiful, so… iconic.  I wanted to cry.  What a perfect nightcap.


I’m now a rather raw bundle of emotion after exploring the inner-workings of mankind and the universe.  The minute and personal and the vast and impersonal.  A bumbling girl struggling under a mountain of random and often errant thoughts, trying to make peace with her base humanity, reaching out and not only connecting with another human but with the whole damn universe.  I feel at once extremely lucky and extremely… small.

No comments:

Post a Comment