Cosmology 101

–Upon Being from Jacksonville, Florida (but not really)

We are all creatures of a cosmology, if not of the universe, then at the very least global in nature. We are all elements of this vast, galactic collective. It is a Jungian notion applied to the stars—the galactic unconscious. To consider that you come from Jacksonville, Florida, Beijing, Tokyo, or New York is provincial. It is thinking that belongs down on the farm. We are part of a much bigger, more dynamic picture. And there is a role for each of us in the cosmos. We as individuals have to find out how we fit. It is a central matter to us all. What we do in Kankakee or Sioux Falls defines us in Brisbane, Rio or far beyond. We have a duty to each other and our environment. And we all fit in the stew. We all serve some key role. Some of us are spices, some vegetables, and others meat and potatoes. But it is all the same stew, the same concoction, the universal milieu.

Why was Star Wars such a huge success? Pardon my nerd moment, (I have a lot of them), but think about it. I am no student of film. This is not a critique. In part the answer lies in the archetypal characters George Lucas created. Good versus evil is certainly not a new theme, but it was perhaps one of the most popular films of its day because it cultivates this dichotomy on an intergalactic level with the use of the best technology and special effects of its time. To me personally, good and evil are not dichotomous; they are flip sides of the same coin. The yin and the yang, the light and the dark. Without one there is not the other, and they are really the same concept, like profit and loss.

Man from the dawn of civilization, and perhaps before, has needed to believe there is something outside of him. This is an arguable point, but I ask you to buy into the argument for one moment. Maybe that something outside of his grasp is magical, maybe it is fantasy, perhaps it is destiny, or possibly it is just a powerful and good thing such as karma. Every lad filled with piss and vinegar wanted to believe that he was Luke Skywalker and could save the embattled universe, thus winning the lovely princess. There is always that connection to what is outside of us: call it dreams, imagination, or God. It is a universal law. And without it, we are lost.

Perhaps the basic need to believe is simple in nature, elemental even. Maybe primitive man needed to reason why his friend next to him, who drew air only a moment ago, no longer moves or breathes and lies there limp. Perhaps he needed to believe that in the exact second a member of his tribe or hunting party died that his soul went somewhere else, perhaps somewhere better. Is that not a central dream for many of us? Many ancient and modern cultures based beliefs of an afterlife and a soul on religious dogma. Religion is a useful tool for some. It does not serve all, and it does not serve all the same way, but like any tool, it has its uses if properly applied.

Man needs as well to feel connected to himself and those around him. This is a corollary of the argument I have put forth that man needs to believe in what is outside or beyond him. It is only then, when this bond is formed with those around him, that he knows he has purpose. He needs to know his actions count in the cosmos and closer to home. He must establish his function in this tremendous and glorious dance we are all a part of. If at the microcosmic level, we are more say, dancers in a grand ballroom rather than ingredients in a stew, then there are only a few edicts that come to mind.

We must enjoy and love our dancing partners, we must respect our instructors, we should hold precious the space, the time and the possessions of those around us, we need to concentrate and to have fun, and we should always be prepared to learn a new step or two.


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Cosmology 101 – Upon Being from Jacksonville, Florida (but not really)