Penny for your Thoughts

This prompt was taken from the New York Times writers’ prompts article. When I read this, I wasn’t going to choose this prompt. But then I stopped and thought, “What is my favorite photo?” Immediately, I knew it. I couldn’t remember the name, but I had the vision of it in my mind. After a quick Google search, I found it. Named the Pale Blue Dot, this picture was snapped by the Voyager 1 spacecraft on Valentine’s Day, 1990. There is almost nothing to the photo except grey-blue sky. It isn’t until you have it pointed out to you, the little circle off to the side. That little circle is Earth.

 I was a little cheesed at the fact that it was taken on February 14. Maybe I’m too sentimental, but somewhere in that fact there is something to be said about the love we should have for our planet. Love is the main emotion I feel when admiring the photo. It’s almost visual poetry. It only takes a small amount of pondering to come to the conclusion that I did: Our life is short, fragile, and valuable. It’s no secret that I am an existentialist. If you don’t know what that means, here’s the definition, taken from Google search. 

“Existentialism is a philosophy centered on ** individual existence, freedom, and choice**, asserting that people are born without inherent purpose (existence precedes essence) and must create their own meaning in a meaningless world through authentic actions, accepting radical responsibility for defining themselves and their values, often confronting feelings of angst or absurdity.”

Now, the way I have interpreted this philosophy of life is to live your life with purpose and with good intentions to the world around you. The reason I bring this up is because I feel a strong sense of existence when looking at The Pale Blue Dot. Although I wasn’t alive when the photo was taken, the Earth has not changed. It is still just as miniscule and unimportant in space as it was in 1990 as it is in 2026. There have been countless endeavors to find extraterrestrial life, or aliens, and all have been done unsuccessfully. There is a chance that our planet really is the only one with life. I feel too many are blind to the beauty of it. There is something so serene and beautiful about just living. Your body is constantly working to keep you alive. There must be a reason for it, whether you know it or not. The Pale Blue Dot is a reminder of that. Surrounded by the vastness of empty space, of rock and stardust, we are living and experiencing life, one day, hour, minute, and second at a time. Too many take this for granted, myself included. 

There are many things that happen on our little planet. They range from incomprehensible horrors of mankind to sublime works of nature. It’s really easy to get down on all the bad stuff. Especially now, when it seems like the world is falling apart. I have to take time to remind myself that the bad times are what make things good. There’s always bad days, but there’s always good days as well. We tend to not appreciate the good days as much as we loathe the bad ones. It’s important to notice the small things that make life good. Maybe it’s the cool bird you see on your drive to work, or the random song that plays at just the right moment in the car. I guarantee you, when you stop and look around, you will notice the charm of the world surrounding you. We live in a busy world. It’s easy to get caught up in the mundaneness of everyday life. It’s your job to keep an eye out for uniqueness and change. To quote Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” 

Back to the picture. The Pale Blue Dot. There is another aspect to this photo that I like to think about. I think about how many people there are, encompassed in one photo. In 1990, the rough estimate world population was 5.3 billion people. Currently, we are reaching 8.142 billion. Some may stress about the overpopulation of the planet when they hear this number, which trust me, as someone who spends a lot of time thinking about the planet, I get stressed too! But at the same time, I think of this number every time I feel alone. When I feel like no one can understand, or no one has ever felt this low before, I remember I am one in 8 billion. The truth is, no one is really alone. No matter how many friends we have, what family we have, etc., we are never truly alone. Sure, you may not have someone to talk to at a specific moment, but out of 8 billion other people, I can confidently tell you you’re in the same boat as another person. You’re alone together, if you want to put it that way. As someone who suffers with mental illness, it’s easy to feel hopeless. It’s easy to curl up and cry and wish you could lay and bed and never wake up. But when I stop and think about the absurdness of what is upsetting me, I think about the Pale Blue Dot. We are quite literally floating on a rock in space, surrounded by nothing but void air. 

Take the time to appreciate the good. Out of 197 million square miles and 8 billion people, you’re not alone. Remember that we are all experiencing life for the first time. Take the time to love, to forgive, to cherish, and admire. It’s easy to succumb to the despair and sadness of the modern world. I would now like to show you a Robert Frost poem that I feel delivers words I cannot do justice to. 

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

If you aren’t well versed in interpreting poetry, just read the last two verses. Two roads, and he took the one less traveled by. Like I said, becoming a mindless slave to the bitterness of the world is easy. Take the path less traveled. One day, when you’re older, you’re going to wish you’d have appreciated life more. I’m 18, and I already wish I had cherished all the years prior. We can’t go back though. Time is constantly pushing us forward. Life is absurd, and it is all wrapped into this pale dot in space. What you decide to spend your time on is not my concern, but personally, I plan on making meaning through my appreciation for everything and everyone on that dot.