Belonging

Belonging Light Years Away

The earth constitutes about 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003 percent of the observable universe. Such an infinitesimally minute statistic is unfathomable to our human minds, but what we can grasp from the seemingly endless nature of space is our conscious distinctness from the unthinking voids that surround us as well as our physical connection to them. The electrical impulses that fabricate our emotions and the macromolecules that synthesize every one of our bodies all share the same beginning with the billions of galaxies dotting our cosmos. Alone under the night stars, accompanied by my camera and tripod, these thoughts consume me, and I experience belonging– a snug sensation of unity with the universe and with humanity.

Witnessing a blanket of stars on a clear night is a modest reminder that what I refer to as “my life” is merely a series of natural events– just like any other phenomena in nature, and this gives me a sensation of belonging in the universe. 13.7 billion years ago, matter and energy expanded into existence, synthesizing everything from the molten iron in an exploding star to the bacteria colonizing our gut. The substance within me has the same properties, physics, and origin as any other matter. The past several centuries have seen the rise of anthropocentrism, or the idea that humans are separate from or even above the rest of nature, and this dangerous mindset has led society to tarnish the environment unabashedly as well as believe that nature untouched by humans is pure and pristine. The reality is that we are a part of the natural environment– not distinct from it, and sitting alone under the stars helps me acknowledge that connection. I am reminded of my belonging amongst even the un-human.

On the other hand, staring into the void of space bolsters my connection with society, emphasizing the uniqueness of humanity as a whole rather than the internal conflicts we tend to normally focus on. In the face of mysterious black holes and millennia-old stars and exoplanets churning with noxious gases, humanity becomes as "us"; the myriad divisions that polarize our world, from issues like gun control to the ceaseless debate over tax policy, are overshadowed by the utter bizarreness of the universe. All people have squishy, pink flesh guiding their thoughts; ticks that make them frustrated; emotions they deploy to certain stimuli. We relate to each other because we are built with practically the same instruction manual, and the minute differences in our skin tones or vocal chords or body shapes dissipate when our matter is compared to that of a star or asteroid. Under the night sky, I feel a bond with humanity, my frustrations towards our society’s ills and corruptions fading into the background for a moment. The stars help foster belonging within me; once alone, my mind wanders into the deep crevices of existentialism, with it ensuing a connection with both the universe and its 7.3 billion humans.

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