Outer Space

Racing Stars

I'm back. I feel like I should get the welcome of an intergalactic traveler; waves of people welcoming me home by placing garlands of flowers round my neck, processions on the streets, flag-waving from the sidewalks, the works.

The relief and joy of coming out of the dark tunnel of the love sick stage should be commemorated with, at the very least, a celebration on this scale. Immersing yourself in the world of the other person is full of the dark awe of entering new and unchartered territory on a grand scale; the fear of what you may discover, the excitement of new planets and their orbiting moons of myriad baggage and damage from past relationships.

And the drama, oh the drama, of a wrathful sun you can't come too close to, or a freezing pluto; an emotional wasteland of no access and no communication. The best of us become trapped travellers, stuck in this journey of destination unknown, hopeful that we will land somewhere friendly where the aliens don't cannibalize what's left of our body and soul. By some miracle I have found my way home. Shell shocked, and traumatized no doubt, but also full of grateful wonder at what I have witnessed and what I have survived. Inner space, outer space, its a damn close call of a ride. A reminder of how small we really are, how yawning and deep our need to explore.

In other news I have an "artist" friend who dabbles in this kind of photography, and she actually managed to get published in one of those huge artsy tomes that are a necessary accessory to coffee tables in a particular species of urbane individual's household. You know the type of book that's edgy enough to show that you have cultural exposure, but not something that anyone would miss enough to look through twice. I am not a big photographer myself, whatever timeless moment I trap on my blackberry covers most of my needs. I do envy those that take the time to manipulate the lens, capture a fading light, find an angle most of us are oblivious to, and present our world, repackaged and uniquely expressed, in photo form.

"Cat Among the Pigeons"