In Napoli, Italy, garbage is burned. And aside from the smoke that puts into the air, it is common for sand to blow up into the air from Africa, travel over here, and rain dirt on to our cars. Suffice it to say that the atmosphere is less than spectacular here. They say that just living in Napoli is like smoking a half pack of cigarettes a day.
Last week we had a lot of rain, and I look forward to that because it serves to clear the air.
I have this little porch like place that's out of a side door in my living area. I go out there to smoke, usually, (a half pack isn't enough for me), and while sitting and smoking I contemplate various things. I was blessed with a sight the day after the week of rain finally stopped - the clearest most beautiful sky you can imagine. I even called my wife out to look...I go out there every early morning while it's still dark, but on this day, I could see three times as many stars.
I've posted this article where it belongs - in astronomy, but I hope that those of you who take the night sky for granted - as something that's just there that you never think about - will take a few moments tonight (weather permitting) and go outside and turn your gaze upwards.
In the midst of all the things we all think are so important, the night sky is easy to ignore, because it reminds us, in objective visible terms, just how petty are our problems, and how small we really are.
Go tonight and look and think about it. Forget your theologian and political debates. Forget the latest thing you've argued about here on Joeuser. Forget the dramas you're engaged in whether in your regular life or here in the Blogosphere, and look up. The Verse is beautiful. Look at it.
Everywhere, stars.