Post 2, Week 2 - The Night Sky

Having lived in rather remote places for most of my childhood, I have always loved watching the night sky. In the evenings, my parents would settle down on the veranda for a cup of tea and my brother and I would continue playing till it got too dark. Then we would sit on the stairs and invariably my gaze would turn to the stars above.

I remember one evening when we were walking over to the EACs house for a dinner party. I had the torch in my hands and much to my parents disapproval, I insisted on flashing it at the sky every now and then. I thought, if everyone is there on those stars looking down at us they could see the flashes. Then again, I thought if earth looks as bright from out there as those stars do from here, then this must be a futile exercise. But then again, I reasoned, since it is night here, this side cannot be shining. So, if anyone happens to be looking, they might still see the flashes. Naïve.

Growing up at Shillong, when I was in class 1, I remember almost every other evening, we'd go over to my Mama's house. On our way back, I'd be skipping and hopping down the steep road with mom holding on to my hand to keep me from stumbling as I tried to spot the little bear between the swaying pines.

High school brought me to Delhi. A landscape so different from the hills and pines I was so used to that I might as well have gone to Mars. Between voracious reading, rehearsing for the school play, some reluctant studying, bunking out to watch movies, falling in and out of love and a million other things, I still found the time to look up to the skies. I missed the zillion stars that light up the skies over Shillong and the other small hill towns but realized that this made it much easier to pick out Orion, the big dipper and most of the other constellations. I watched them move with the seasons. I noted where they stood in the middle of the dusty summer and where they shone as I felt the first dew drops of september on the grass under my feet.

Even to this day, almost invariably, I spend some time out on the balcony before I sleep, watching the stars. For the last fortnight or so, the skies over bangalore have been clear enough for me to clearly see the little bear again. It reminds me of Shillong, the swaying pines and my Nani.

Watching the night sky fills me with a peace that I find hard to explain. As I look up to the stars, I feel a connection with all my ancestors and with all future generations to come. I don't know how many of them looked up at the stars but these were there then too... And will be there long after I am dead and gone. I may not have gone to Egypt but when I see the belt of the Orion, I know that the architects of the great pyramids must have looked at them too.

Standing on my balcony, sheltered, I bask in the star light from thousands of years ago from distances so great that I cannot even begin to comprehend them. I am filled with wonder at the universe. I am filled with joy at having been given this opportunity to experience this ... and humbled ... so truly humbled by it.

Try it some time. Take some time out to just stand and stare at the heavens.
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