"They're beautiful, aren't they? The stars. I hardly ever look at them anymore, but they are ... quite ... beautiful." --K (Men In Black)It's one of my favorite movies, not only because I really like Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and especially Frank, but because of my fascination with the stars and the magnificent planets and nebulae in the heavens out there.
There are a lot of things I've missed since my sight went bad a few years ago ... eye contact with people, my grandchildren in particular, and my dog ... reading books ... scenery along the road ... and movies and TV. I can compensate for most of that so it's not such a big deal. I can read e-type-books when they're blown up on my computer, hubby is great when it comes to descriptions along the road, and my choices for movies and most TV shows are ones I've seen a hundred times anyway so I know what's going on.
But there's one thing I've never gotten used to ... looking up at night and seeing a black sky, or a couple of super-bright stars at best. My dark glasses over light-restrictive contact lenses block out practically everything.
Then, a few nights ago when I had already taken my contacts out, I found my old clear-lens glasses and went outside to try and see something. It brought tears to my eyes ... I saw stars! They took my breath away! It had been such a long time! I got to see the Big Dipper before it set (sets really early this time of year) and Orion and Pleiades and Cassiopeia ... they were all there ... and they were so incredibly beautiful!
Tonight I got to do the same thing, if only for a few minutes. Between street lights, neighbors' porch lights, and the reflection of miles of city lights, it took its toll very quickly and I had to quit. But for those few quiet minutes, it was just me and God enjoying those awesome, teeny flecks of light.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that no one got very excited when I told them about it. It's something they see every night. What's the big deal about a bunch of stars in the sky? I hope they never have to truly understand.
