“Do you remember what was the last moment you saw the stars up in that night sky?”. For me, it was that evening as I made my way home very late from the office after a long day of classes and preparing my research progress draft for the next day. I rarely go outside that late (above 11pm), but to my surprise, the usual dark sky was bright as never before. It was so vivid that you might believe me if I say angels descended to Earth that night (well this is a hyperbole). It was so bright that I can spot most of my beloved constellations, Orion gracing the northern sky while Centaurus and Crux adorning the southern horizon. It was a rare spectacle, a stroke of luck to behold such clarity amidst high rate of light pollution in our vicinity. Idk, perhaps on that night they turned off several street lights for saving (we are getting poor lately :) ).
But the thing is, that evening revived a long-lost thought I had a few years ago….
“Those flickering lights adorning your night sky — they’re such a tragedy, aren’t they?”
Start from considering this: do you know how much time it takes for a light from a star to reach Earth?. Our closest star, the Sun, accomplishes this feat in a mere eight minutes. Pretty quick, isn’t it? Shift your gaze further, the nearest star outside our solar system, Proxima Centauri, requires 4.2 years for its light to touch Earth. Now, brace yourself for the astronomical leap. Stars from our neighboring galaxy, Andromeda, traverse the cosmic spanning 2.5 million years to grace our skies. The most distant star within our observation, Earendel, demands an astonishing 28 billion years for its light to reach our tiny corner of the universe. Can you fathom such an unimaginable journey?
All those stars embark on a travel from the furthest galaxy through the vast expanse of outer space full of darkness, spanning millions to billions of light-year, merely to illuminate our sorrow sky, only to arrive at our doorstep unnoticed. Yet, not a single soul cares. Either we got blinded by our own artificial lights, or more ironically, no one bothers to wonder the night sky for those celestial travelers. The unrequited cosmical long-distance-relationship, Isn’t this the very epitome of tragedy?.
This tragedy, metaphorically resonates with our lives, especially those who have chosen to leave home to pursue their dreams, often leaving behind family, friends, and loved ones. Suddenly, a time-space warp unfolds in our relationships, drifting our connection away. We got blinded by the illumination of our dead-end jobs and ambitious goals, sometimes forgetting those who stand faithfully on our doorstep, waiting for a simple hello. Precious times fly away as our lives unfold in different orbits. Once, we were stars, casting lights for each other. Once, they were the stars adorning the canvas of our lives, yet now, some of their light starts to faint away when the others vanished entirely in the dark. On our relentless pursuit, do we got blinded to their twinkling light, or do we consciously choose to divert our attention from their dimming glow?
I don’t know the answer either, perhaps both of it, perhaps it is also a bitter consequence of chasing our own lights. As I tread this path, I recognize the loss of many stars from my sky, yet I am still seeking the remnants of their lights while sending forth my own, hoping they are still there, hidden somewhere in the vast universe. Sometimes I truly envy those who can still maintain the connection with their stars that lighten up their lives, it is indeed such a blessing (well I'm still struggling on this). Because in the end, it is the connections we forge and nurture that truly illuminate the darkness of our night sky, isn’t it?.
Well, so the next time we see the flickering lights on our night sky, lets try to pause for a moment and appreciate them. Who knows what story, joyous, or even sorrow they want to share :)
