A Humbling Experience

Last month my husband and I were in LA visiting our son and his girlfriend.  They're wonderful hosts and we always have a great time.  There are certain things we always do when we're out there and wouldn't  feel like we've been to LA if we didn't do them.  We have a favorite italian restaurant we always go to.  And we HAVE to go to Venice Beach.  You never know what you're going to see there and it's so much fun to people watch.

We also usually do one or two new things.  This year one of the new things was to go to the California ScienCenter.  There was so much to see; it was fascinating.  But the big prize was that this is the new home of the space shuttle Endeavour.  The first glimpse of it just took my breath away.
It's size is impressive.  But looking at it and knowing where it had been and what it and the people in it had seen, was surreal.

I could envision this enormous craft traveling through the expanse of space, looking like a spec of dust in the vastness.  Most humans think everything revolves around them and that our world is the most important thing there is.  But this craft and the people in it saw our Earth from a whole different perspective.  They could look at it like we look at the moon.  It looked beautiful, but small.  In the vastness of the Universe, Earth is nothing but a spec.  Imagine what each individual person is.

It must make you realize how unimportant all your trials and tribulations really are.  Looking at the big picture - as they were able to from space - HAS to make you change your priorities.  It HAS to make you realize that the things we think are a big deal, really aren't.  If ALL people could have an amazing experience like this, maybe there wouldn't be wars, budget problems, in-fighting in congress, fighting of any kind.  People might realize that in the big picture, these "problems" are just silly.  I would love to be able to talk to these space travelers and see how their lives and personal perspectives have changed.

Just seeing this incredible space ship made my head spin.  Imagine actually traveling in it.  It just boggles my mind.  What a humbling experience.

Love,  Paula