Moments of Reflection

The US population has just topped three hundred millions. That’s eight trailing zeroes. Seeing that one American uses more resources than the global average, it can be a bit discomfiting.

Coupled with the world’s inexorable push beyond the six billion mark in terms of population, it kind of puts the current effort at space exploration in the proper perspective. But will it be too little and too late, only time will tell, even though doomsayers already have a field day.

Then there is another school of thought that argues for ocean exploration, right under our nose so to speak. Plans for mari-culture, sea ranching, aquapolis, and underwater cities are topics of the day. It seems like a logical progression from the terrestrial phase, seeing that ocean occupies more than 70% of earth’s surface and that Mt. Everest can easily sit on the deepest undersea trench without becoming sub-aerial.

However, the concern is that humankind may pollute and degrade the ocean habitat as we have done to the land with abandon. Until and unless we change our imperialistic outlook, a proclivity to lord over all other species, no amount of new space, be it ocean or out of this world in space, will ever satiate humankind’s quest for domains.

Then in steps spirituality, which is a generic term for all the world’s different faiths. All beseech their followers to follow the path of the enlightenment, seeking peace with nature, and with each other.

It has been said that we are our own greatest enemies. Wars and other ravages continue to decimate homo sapiens by the number. And yet those of us who are fortunate, by whose grace I do not know, go through the motion of living day in and day out, seemingly oblivious to the human misery far removed from us.

Sure, we empathize, we give donations, we are not wasteful and live within our means in our own way. But how much longer before we are engulfed in this conflagration of discontent, of disenfranchisement, that is gnawing away at our very capital for sustenance?

Is this a bad dream? That it will go away come tomorrow? Likely not. As individuals, we strive to live on, to provide for our loved ones. Selfish or not, that’s all we can, or rather willing to do, physically, but we will pray for others every night.

Good night, everyone.