The Stars - They Do Mock Us!(Charles A. Mazzarella) The Stars, they do mock us!


The stars. I would bet that one of the first conversations, near one of the first fires, was about the stars. Sure, primitive peoples grunted about the oncoming hairy creature and devised a plan. They discussed what they saw around them: trees, a woman, a man, and maybe something of interest, or anything that was different from them. They talked about the scary and mighty sound of the sea; that river with no end. The original “boneheads” also talked about what scared them or made them curious – the stars, among many other unnamed things.

One of those conversations, in modern day, more proper English, may have gone something like this: (a substitution of modern names was made to replace names of the prehistoric time period).

Thomas: “You know James, I have been wondering this for some time.”

James: “Yes Thomas, what was that?”

Thomas: “Well, when it becomes dark, after the Big Fire hides, we can see many, many small fires above us.”

James: “Yes, I have noticed that also. It has been that way since I first remember stepping out of the cave to give my water back to the trees.”

Thomas: “Well, James, do you think we should be afraid of those small fires?”

James: “Well, I do not think so, Thomas. It is either that they are small or large, but far in the distance and can not harm us. Either way, we are safe. They can be our friends to help us find our way when the Big Face also hides and we can not see.”

Thomas: “Yes. This is good James! I like your idea. Have you also noticed that when we look at the small fires, shapes appear?”

James: “Yes. I have seen a bear, two tools and a hunter. Have you seen those?”

Thomas: “I have seen the hunter but none of the others. I have seen a tree and a great river of small fires. I have even seen a plant color-like light at night, hovering in the air, but do not know what that was, only that I was scared.”

The conversation would go on to wonder how the small fires got there or why some of the fires fall from the sky! Two men like this, thousands of years ago, or last night, may have brought up some profound beliefs about what they see when staring at the stars. Just how fish are enticed by a shiny lure that refracts light in the water, we are attracted to the stars, as well as shiny metal objects. We first drew pictures in a cave, then told stories, wrote poetry, drew pictures of magnified stars, then made documentaries. Now, we can search for the stars online, name one after someone we care about, and see streaming video from Hubble while we chomp away on some Frosted Flakes.

We can go to a planetarium to learn how to find specific constellations or how the stars looked hundreds of years ago. Though I would like to, but never have been, I believe seeing a planet or the stars at an observatory satisfies our innate curiosity. Many people are tethered to this Earth and will never walk on the moon, fly into space, get on a jet, or observe their world from higher than a hundred feet or so. And that is reality. We, as people on this planet, have a number of common links. Seeing the stars and acknowledging their apparently eternal existence and taking the time to wonder; these are actions anyone on the planet is capable of doing. If you can not see them, someone can tell you what they see and you can imagine for yourself. I am sure you too will wonder.

Can you think of something else that represents all of Time? Stars were viewed by dinosaurs and primitive man. What we now see, is a picture that is millions of years old; the star’s past. Our present location can be determined by what we currently see; if you do not have GPS or a map. These same stars represent our future. We will travel closer to them! We will see for ourselves the incalculableness of Space and get closer to the views of nebulas and planets many people have stared at via posters or screen savers. This will happen, but you and I will not be here.
So, they are past, present, and future simultaneously; transcending Time itself! Some will argue that the land we walk on or the Oceans are also timeless; things we can understand. We have a strong connection to that which we see every day: a field of grain, the waves and water that lead to the unattainable horizon, our family, our stuff, or our view, wherever we work or live. From the land we get shelter and food and ogle at landscapes. The Oceans hold a myriad of life forms and provide us with meals and transportation. People see a future in the land and the sea: minerals we have not found yet, possible dwelling places under the waves, and there is the potential. Both too have always been there and have an unwritten future. But, we are able to touch and appreciate these; these are tangible.

What do the stars provide? The stars are always out of our reach. They know this and mock us. We desire to reach them, as this is one of our goals, but we at this time are incapable, or unenlightened. We can only be distant observers, even if we travel in Space or leave our footprints in the lunar soil. We can walk from one town to another, drive from state to state or to another country’s borders. We can fly across the globe and take shuttles to the ISS and once again, the moon. Regardless of the mode of transportation, we have before us a view of the stars. They shimmer there in a smug way and taunt us; knowing we can not visit them. Stars simply exist where they have been; in unreachable Space, knowing it is human nature to be curious to see where a certain road leads or wonder: how can I get there?

Though the stars are unattainable, they are nonetheless powerful. They connect us, showing us we are more alike than different and they are there for all to see. The stars show we are mortal. Yet, their very existence, and view they provide, cause us to believe that maybe those that have died now stare down as we stare up, giving us the promise of immortality. When we look at them, we see that we are small but can achieve and aspire to bigger things. Stars transcend time because of what they inspire in us or what they remind us of.

Many have stared up at the stars and wondered: who else is out there? Seeing the stars proves we may be stuck on Earth but that we may not be the only ones in the known Galaxy at that moment that stare at them and think the same thoughts. “How can I get there?” “Am I alone?” “You are mocking me, aren’t you?” “What does this button do?”

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