I know... I know! I have neglected this site for almost two years... does anyone even look here anymore? Is this thing on??? Hello???
I went through some really interesting times over the last two years. One reason I stopped posting is that I started to see the drawbacks of trying to be... whatever I was trying to be: space influencer, steminist, space advocate, blogger, social media presence of good... I don't think I fully had a plan to begin with. And when people started noticing me (and not always so positively) it freaked me out. So I (unfortunately) stopped. And I followed the next leg of my journey. To find myself! And now I think I am ready to come back and share with you all. I am really proud of the person I have become.
I have been wanting to come back to blogging, but in a more "this is my space story" light. So what made me come back today of all? Today we got to see this MASTERPIECE produced by the James Webb Space Telescope for the first time during NASA TV's big reveal:
Sooooo... What do you guys think???
Pretty amazing huh? It woke something up in me, which is why I am posting now. It was said on the live stream if you were to hold up a grain of sand at arm's length away, this is what you would be covering up behind that grain. All of these galaxies and worlds and bright lights and swirls and colors. In just a tiny grain of sand. It made me feel so cosmically insignificant (borrowed from Important by Ian McConnell) and it felt SO FREAKING AMAZING.
There is no way we are the only living things out there. And I can't wait to discover as much as I can in my lifetime. And, on top of that, my problems down here on Earth seemed like a tiny little blip of insignificance. I am just here for fun to go do whatever cool adventure I so choose as worthy of that day of adventuring. It was like a breath of fresh air. So much so that I was ready to post back on this blog. So thanks James Webb Space Telescope!
One of my oldest friends responded to my tweet about this amazing picture with the following: One of my favorite things about being human is feeling so small.
Love it. I absolutely love that take. Poetry to my ears. It reminded me of a very famous Carl Sagan quote, one that I could argue is his most important and that is saying a lot, my friends.
"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love"
So that is why I am back and blogging. Again. With more certainty and direction this time though. My goal is to post once a week, so please come back for more. I think Sagan hit the nail on the head with this discovery of finding love in the vastness. In my current findings, there is a large piece of human nature that is being left out of the space industry. And that piece can only be unlocked by using the power of space. I think it is an important cohesive yin and yang type relationship that I hope to uncover more in talking to all of you.
So thanks for coming back! Or joining for the first time. I am really excited you are here now and I am fully committed to bringing this new me to the table from here on out. Please comment what you felt seeing the JWST image for the first time! Did it awaken something in you like it did for me?
I know you have a lot of space stories to choose from and I thank you for joining me on this Space Story.
jelescope welescope space telescope
Welcome back Bailey!
Bailey thanks for sharing your post and your thoughts about the image you saw today. It is amazing how small we really are in the grand scheme of all the cosmos. It’s absolutely mind blowing and impossible for our minds to actually grasp. I look forward to reading further posts and following your journey. You are amazing young woman and I wish you all the best.
Thank you Donna! You are so kind! And I agree… MIND BLOWING!
Seeing this image was so surreal. How vast the space it shows compared to that grain of sand was just a super cool comparison. I can’t wait to see what else comes from this.
And welcome back!
Agreed Darren! Brought me a lot of comfort that the universe probably doesn’t care about my student loans or what my coworker said to me that day.
SAD to see so many people spending more time looking at the natural world through a tv screen. I was sitting OUTSIDE during the big reveal and the REAL view of space was SO much better
That is so cool you got to experience it outside! I think everyone is entitled to their own experiences and as long as they felt moved and inspired, that works for me!
Great to see this blog and I agree with you on the fact that the first JWST image makes us feel humble and insignificant when we compare ourselves to the vast universe. We are all significant in unique ways but we indeed need to acknowledge that the world is big and there is so much to learn and explore! The image multiplied my excitement for Space!
Welcome back, Bailey! Missed your blogs!
Thank you Darsh! “Humble” is such a good adjective for my feelings that day!