Michael John Unger

“We’re all just walking each other home.“ - Ram Dass

In 1982 I lived on a street called Sunshine Drive. As a five year old I would think about a solar system like a street, and the houses being all of the planets, asteroids, and moons that reside in it. At the end of the street was the Elementary School, Sunshine Hills, and in September 1982 the day finally came that I was to make the journey to this school for the first time. As I packed my bag full of supplies for this adventure, I expected that I would take this walk down the solar system and I was excited because it was my autonomous journey. My mother wanted to escort me, which frustrated me, because I felt this was a journey that I had to undertake alone. I raced ahead, and yelled at her behind me to go home. When I got to the classroom filled with strange faces, a terrifying new space, I felt a deep terror, and cried until my mother came and picked me up.

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I still use the solar system as a street analogy in my science communication, because it helps people perceive the grand tapestry of the universe. The galaxy is a country, and the universe is the world. We may seem insignificant, but we are woven in the very fabric of the cosmos together.

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When we walk each other home, we extend a hand to those in need, offering guidance, compassion, and kindness. We lend our strength to those who stumble, our wisdom to those who seek knowledge, and our love to those who crave acceptance. But what is home? Some may not have one, and some have had theirs taken away. As we zoom out to the country as a galaxy we see that it is not uniform. The stars that make it up are not equal. It is the galaxy that we live in, and it is the place that despite all its differences is where our journey home will end. It is the beginning and end of us, and we do it together.

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Each house on this street we live on has a story to tell, so let’s learn as much as we can, and tell those stories to as many people as we can. If we’re all going home, let’s make sure we all get there together for us, and for those left behind.

#cosmicperspective