Noticing how few kids point at jets anymore makes me ponder our gaze shifting upward

Back in the day, any plane overhead had us all squinting, debating if it was a shuttle or just a commercial flight. Now, my niece barely looks up from her tablet when the ISS makes a visible pass, and that kinda bums me out. Our local library used to host packed model rocket workshops, but last month's event had maybe five attendees. With SpaceX launches becoming almost routine news, the everyday magic seems to have faded here, even as access to space has exploded. I wonder if the frontier feels too distant now, or if we're just overloaded with terrestrial noise. Still, catching a glimpse of Jupiter through my binoculars the other night gave me that old thrill. Maybe the key is fostering those small, local sparks to fuel the next giant leap.

3 comments

3 Comments

alice_williams12d ago

Same, my niece yawned during the last meteor shower.

richardknight11d ago

Is it just me or do meteor showers have a weirdly soporific effect on people? My buddy Steve literally snored through the Geminids last December, even though we'd driven out to this perfect dark sky site. He woke up for like two minutes, saw one streak, and immediately conked out again. I almost envy how easily some people can sleep through such an amazing event. Maybe it's the lying back and staring up at the sky, it just lulls you right to sleep.

wyatt_king1912d ago

Totally get that, @alice_williams, my cousin dozed off mid-shower last year (the Perseids, I think).