What struck me most was the silence. It was a great silence, unlike any I had encountered, so vast and deep that I began to hear my own body: my heart beating, my blood pulsing, even the rustle of my muscles moving.
There were more stars in the sky than I had expected. The sky was deep black, yet at the same time bright with sunlight. The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone.
The Earth was absolutely round. I believe I never knew what the word round meant until I saw the earth from space. It reminded me of a Christmas tree ornament hanging in the blackness.
As we got further and further away it diminished in size. Finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful marble you can imagine.
That beautiful, warm, living marble looked so fragile, so delicate.
I thought of the millions and millions of people who have lived, live, and will live on Earth.
I thought about the purpose of our existence and how we should live in order to enjoy and to share our short lives as fully as possible.
There were more stars in the sky than I had expected. The sky was deep black, yet at the same time bright with sunlight. The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone.
The Earth was absolutely round. I believe I never knew what the word round meant until I saw the earth from space. It reminded me of a Christmas tree ornament hanging in the blackness.
As we got further and further away it diminished in size. Finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful marble you can imagine.
That beautiful, warm, living marble looked so fragile, so delicate.
I thought of the millions and millions of people who have lived, live, and will live on Earth.
I thought about the purpose of our existence and how we should live in order to enjoy and to share our short lives as fully as possible.
As I looked down, I saw a large river meandering slowly along for miles, passing from one country to another. I saw huge forests and deserts crossing borders. I saw an ocean that touched the shores of separate continents.Two words came to mind: commonality and interdependence.
We are one world.
-From The Home Planet, by Kevin Kelley
