Many people have said it many times: We are all made from the same star stuff. People, animals, plants, rocks, everything you can see, touch, taste, smell and hear, is made from the dust scattered in the cosmic event popularly called The Big Bang. The start of the universe as we know it. The dust from which we are made, and to which we will return.
That sounds really scary!
Maybe to you, 9, but I think it’s exciting. Think about it- -we are all part of the same thing. We are all one thing.
Star Stuff: Jupiter with spruce tree.
Interesting, but abstract. Can you elaborate?
I suppose I could, Lily, but I’m not inclined to. I like the simple elegance embodied in the concept. It’s all we need to know in order to live our best lives. Because if we’re all part of one big thing, if we take care of others we are also taking care of ourselves. If we work to strengthen and nurture each other, we strengthen and nurture the whole.
In short, be kind. Feed the hungry. Share what you have. Smile. Say hello, and please, and thank you. Pick up litter and don’t throw it down in the first place. Respect the earth, the animals, the plants, the air, the water. Be fair. Be wise.
That doesn’t sound very fun.
It is if you take a moment to look at all of creation, including all the things you can do in your human form, with a sense of awe. Instead of grasping and scrabbling for more, more, more look at the world with empathy and wonder. Turn away from mindless, hubristic destruction and greed. The notion that humans (or subsets of humans called Americans or whites or males or whatever) are better than other elements in the world is a fallacy. Fallacies are created by people who believe they deserve more than others, based on these random exceptionalist factors.
I get that boys aren’t better than girls and that kind of stuff, but what’s that big word you’re using?
From on online dictionary, exceptionalism is the belief that a nation, group, or ideology is an exception to a usual rule or trend or is exceptional in relation to others of the same kind. In short, it means you think you are better than other people.
But aren’t some people better than others?
I don’t think that’s an absolute, Lily. Some people behave better than others do. Some people might be smarter, or stronger, or richer than others. But we are all humans. We have the same needs for food, shelter, warmth, meaningful things to do with our lives, and love.
You could say that star stuff is my religion. It is the only high level belief system that I can think of that serves to unify us all. Politics and religion are human inventions. As such, they are inherently flawed. Because when a part of the system seeks to dominate other parts of a system it causes dysfunction and, ultimately, disease. We create our societal cancers- -war, destruction, hate, institutionalized poverty. We can also cure them.
These days I find the world a more cruel and greedy place than ever. Our national leaders set a low bar for behavior, an utter disregard for what’s legal and illegal, and willfully turn their eyes away from unnecessary suffering inflicted by their selfish, self-serving policies.
We can use our voices and our votes to improve this situation.
For daily encouragement, we can also look up to our kindred, the stars.
Star Stuff: Brother Orion.
Hear, hear! (Or is it here, here?)
Thanks, Jess!
From our close personal friend AI: The correct phrase is “hear, hear”, used to express agreement or approval. “Here, here” is a common misspelling and is considered grammatically incorrect. The expression is a cheer for a speaker, originating from a call to “hear him, hear him!”