If there was ever a month that could fill a person with wonder, it would have been October. All month long we were blessed with reasons to turn our gazes towards the heavens. The month’s events began with a solar eclipse, followed by the northern lights, then a comet, the biggest supermoon of the year, and two meteor showers. I didn’t get to witness all of these amazing things but I did experience the northern lights and bathed in the light of the Hunter moon. Regardless of whether or not I had a chance to make a wish on a shooting star or witness a once-in-eighty-thousand years comet, I still consider myself lucky. All these awe-inspiring occurrences did something amazing. They united people.

During the weeks before a historical and frustrating presidential election, it was nice to see social media flooded with images of spectacular sights. I loved reading about people’s experiences and sharing in the excitement. I don’t think there was a photo of the northern lights or the comet that didn’t impress me. For a brief period of time, all the people in my world were in total agreement and everyone had a reason to share something we can all admire.

Think about it. Here we all are, standing on a marble floating in space. While Earth is making its annual trip around a ball of hot electrically charged gas, so is a cosmic snowball. As both bodies were going on their individual journeys, space rocks were entering the Earth’s atmosphere and being set ablaze. The giant ball of flaming plasma we call the Sun was experiencing it’s own events called solar flares. These explosions on the Sun and subsequent ejected gas bubbles caused magnetic storms. It just so happens that rare geomagnetic storms occurred during the second week of October and on my son’s birthday it sent the northern lights to far lower latitudes than normal. I was thrilled to pull into my driveway that night after work and see the sky lit up behind my house. I was even more excited to share the experience with my son.

If you take the time to visualize this, it’s pretty astonishing. There is all of this galactic activity happening and we have no control over any of it. We are merely inconsequential specks when it comes to the Milky Way Galaxy and the Universe. Yet here we are, on this amazing vibrant planet that we share, arguing about or minimizing issues that affect all of life on Earth when we should be solving them. Humankind is experiencing wars, financial crises, hunger, and natural disasters and yet many people want to argue about trivial things that don’t impact any of us. This behavior in politics draws us away from substance, national problems and potential policy solutions, and instead causes us to see everything as “us” vs “them”. Instead of talking policy or ideas, talking heads go on and on about tampons in the boys’ bathroom and the ethnicity or net worth of the candidates.

Here we are, the masses, fixated in front of a television listening to debates and rallies, trying to glean information on topics about which we are passionate. We hope our candidate says something that wows us instead of making us cringe. We dissect the opponent’s words to find a fabrication. And as citizens of the United States, we have every right to do so. We also have the right to vote for the candidate whose message most aligns with our values. Isn’t that the beauty of living in a democracy?

We have the privilege of living in a country where we have access to education, unlimited information, and the freedom to speak our minds. Yet so many of us don’t take advantage of the resources that we have that can change our opinions and improve how we communicate. Instead we choose to stay in our comfort zones, surrounding ourselves with like minded people. I get it. Feeling supported by your peers makes life so much easier. However, living in an echo chamber limits your exposure to diverse viewpoints, hinders critical thinking, and potentially leads to groupthink where everyone readily agrees without considering alternative ideas. Right now what the world needs most are empathetic problem solvers who are open to listening to diverse opinions without taking offense or choosing sides. How great would it be if everyone could recognize that we are more alike than we are different?

Sure we may come from different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds but we all have the same basic wants and needs. We want security, freedom to be ourselves, and the best for those we love. Yet everyday people hide behind their screens and spew vitriol at anyone who dares to think or act differently. My mother always said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, say nothing at all.” You know what? Ginger was a smart lady. I’m not saying we aren’t entitled to our opinions but having an opinion doesn’t entitle us to berate, belittle, or threatened another person. Sometimes our opinions are the biggest differences we have. Our opinions should provide fodder for discussion, not alienate others.

So when the night sky was lit up red and green and heavenly bodies were shooting through it, we were able to press pause on the daily discord and unite in our wonderment. Every one of us (regardless of gender, bank account balance, education, religion, age, or political party) was able to witness these once in a lifetime events. Millions of people stopped scrolling and looked towards the heavens to witness something magical. These moments were free for anyone who took the time to be curious and just look up.

Soon the adults of our country will be heading to the polls to cast their votes. I’m sure every single one of us is anxious to see what the next four years will bring. I can’t help but think of the following quote.

“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.

- John Lydgate, English monk and poet

This quote is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln but the words were penned centuries prior. Clearly both men knew all too well that humans aren’t simple creatures who are content with the bare minimum. We are more than our biology. We have complex thought processes which makes all of us prone to different preferences. No wonder it is so difficult to keep the peace within our country much less on a global level. Sometimes, I so envy my four legged friends who are happy to eat, sleep, play, and be loved.

We live in a world where the masses put their faith in a few. But do those few truly care about the masses? Personally, I think not and that is why I won’t allow politics to alter my love for my friends and family because at the end of the day when any of us are in need it won’t be the politicians lending a helping hand. We can disagree but we can also show respect. The problem is we allow our personal preferences to take precedence over people. I will always choose people because I know that my white eighty year old farmer friend cannot relate to my black Gen Z LGBTQ+ friend and vice versa. Neither one is better than the other. They are merely products of different generations and upbringings with different needs and values. I am smack dab in the middle, happy to take in all the information and form my own opinions without trying to change anyone else’s. The only belief I will ever push is this, knowledge is power and information is available to anyone who is curious. You don’t need to have a wide circle of friends like I have to learn about all the various views and concerns, you can just open a new tab and look them up. So be inquisivitive, be open, be patient, and most of all be respectful. Afterall, we are all stuck on this glorious marble together and at the mercy of politicians and policy makers who don’t know us personally.