For several years, “06880” rang in the new year with an iconic photo: The “blue marble” image of Earth, suspended in space.
Taken by Apollo 17 astronauts in December 1972, for half a century it symbolized the beauty and fragility of our planet, and the interconnectedness of us all.
Three years ago, I went intergalactic.
In the years since the James Webb Space Telescope beamed its first pictures back to us, the world has been mesmerized.
We thought we knew how vast and amazing the universe is.
Now, we realize, we don’t know the half — or the hundredth, or squintillionth — of it.
Gazing at photos like the one above, we realize how insignificant we truly are. Our planet is just one grain of sand, on an obscure beach, in an out-of-the-way location.
We really don’t matter at all.
Except to us.
Take a look at that photo again.
That landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region in the Carina Nebula. For the first time, we see stars being born.
We look billions of light years into the past. That’s crazy stuff.
So — back here on Earth, in our tiny ZIP code in our small state in our big country in our average-sized planet — we have to wonder: What actually matters?
Is it whether our new athletic field is grass or turf? Is it whether we build a parking deck downtown? Is it the inconvenience of traffic on our roads, or a neighbor who chops down most of his trees?
The answer is: Yes.
These things matter.
They matter because they are part of our lives here in Westport. Sure, the universe seems endless; we still can’t really conceive of the fourth dimension, and our universe itself may be part of another, “living” life form.
In other words, the Westport — and the world — we know may just be atoms in an infinitely more complex something-or-other.
But all that’s for another day (or time).
Meanwhile, we look for the answers to life out there. Right now though, it’s our own lives to lead, right here in “06880.”
Let’s lead them well.
And so … bringing us back to what we know best … here’s that beautiful blue marble, once more.
Keeping us Grounded as always! Thanks 06880!
Happy New Year Dan‼️🇺🇸
And my 06880 friends 👍
Happy New Year! Very well said!
#WORD
HAPPY NEW YEAR DAN!
Dan — what a beautiful comment. It makes me wonder about life itself — how we were formed, and why. How many other forms of life there are. Too many questions without answers.
Happy New Year!
Beautifully written!
And – Happy New Year to all!!
Happy New Year! Nothing like an article that gets one to think. “What actually matters?” …….
“The answer is: Yes.
These things matter.
They matter because they are part of our lives here in Westport”.
Let me share a powerful alternate concept based on the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah — all these things matter because our very lives matter! Each individual with their particular mission here on planet earth. If we are here — it’s for a reason and what we do matters in a more cosmic manner …
Happy New Year — when we live our mission and purpose it is sure to be a “happy” new year.
Yehuda Kantor
Wonderful! Thank you Dan.
Happy New Year!
When I was asked to make a short speech at the United Nations in NYC a few years ago, I wanted to say something meaningful, I ended it with this observation;
“When I ask myself the existential question- Why are we all here? The only answer that keeps coming back to me is-
For Each Other.”
Well done, Dan! Thank you and Happy New Year!