The State of Things Now

The first post on a blog should say something momentous, but I will begin by explaining the page. The title comes, obviously, from Jules Verne's classic science fiction novel. Contrary to popular belief, the number 20,000 refers to distance traveled parallel to the sea floor, rather than straight down. I feel a bit like the seamen captured on the Nautilus - awed and more than a little scared at the distance I have traveled in so short a time. The background is one of my favorite photographs: "Deep Field," taken by the Hubble Telescope in 1995. The vast number of galaxies never fails to remind me how infinitely small I am in the grand scheme of things. Yet the fact that that amazing machine, still out in space, was created by the hands of humans tells me that we all have our own important job while we are here. I think I may have finally found mine.