Of Beauty, Interests, And Comet NEOWISE
Over the last couple weeks, I’ve seen some absolutely gorgeous pictures of Comet NEOWISE. Monday night I decided I wanted to go out and see it myself. Unfortunately, I never was able to see it. I did however get a great, beautiful view of the stars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The drive also gave me time to reflect and ponder.
I used to go for night-time drives a lot when I was younger. It was a time to think, to relax, and at times, it was cathartic. After I got married, had a kid, and divorced, night-time drives became a thing of the past. I didn’t want to leave my daughter home alone or wake her up to bring her with me. Now, she’s living with her Mom most of the time. Night-time drives are once again a possibility and I hadn’t even realized it.
I ended up driving around for about two hours trying to get a view of the comet. I tried country roads and highways. Some roads I knew from driving on them for years. Some roads I was on for the first time. Although I never did glimpse the comet, I was reminded of how much I loved going for a drive at night.
As I drove, I contemplated the beauty of the night sky, and what I find beautiful in nature. Most of what I find beautiful involves light. Scenery like the Grand Canyon or mountains are pretty, but there’s little difference for me between seeing them in person and seeing them in pictures. City skylines and the ocean are a bit more impressive and pretty to me, but not by much. The views that really impress me, that I find beautiful, and that pictures are not a substitute for, are ones that involve light and dark. City skylines at a distance at night; peaceful flames, the moon and stars; nebulas and galaxies. These are some of the most beautiful things to me.
Beauty And Interests
What do these things have in common? Light. Darkness. Contrast. These are generally things from which we learn about astronomy, chemistry, physics- the way the universe works. These are also things I find intriguing and love learning about.
It seems the things I find beautiful are related to things that I enjoy, and that are meaningful and interesting to me. I wonder if that is common. Is that part of the human experience? Is there a connection between beauty and interest?
What do you think? Where do you find beauty?
What interests you, and perks your curiosity?
Do you think there’s a connection between our interests and where we find beauty?
Garrett Leeds is the founder of the Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness Project
If you would like to support the Life, Liberty, And Pursuit Of Happiness Project, please consider contributing to LLPHP via GoFundMe
