Hi there. We are here. You and me. And you. And you. This planet has been here 4.5 billion years. 3 billion years ago, there were microbes, enterprising little living things that somehow invented the ability to replicate themselves. 250 million years ago, weird swimming lizards and amphibians appeared on the scene. Forests covered the ground. 200,000 years ago, humans arrived and started making a living in the forests and icescapes. We’ve been sharing the Earth’s land with trees and beetles and big mammals and octopuses ever since. Of all the life that has ever lived, you and I and the other living things around us are what live right now.
So we are having a party. A 2021 party. You and I are here, and out of all the things that have lived and died, and all the people that have lived and died, and all the eras of history, you and I and all the people and plants and animals and other organisms alive right now, we are what make up right now. We aren’t living in 2,000 B.C. We aren’t living in 1839. We are living right now. We are what makes 2021, 2021. I’m glad you’re here.
It’s pure happenstance that you and I are here together. We are bound together by occupying this Earth at this moment in time. We share this space with the living things that are here with us. Of all the things that have lived, and all the things that will live, we are the only ones here now. We may think there is so much that separates us. That you think the only worthwhile life is dedicated to worshipping Allah. That you are just a little raccoon, rattling around in a suburban garbage can. That you are quietly photosynthesizing at the bottom of a bay. But we share this one miraculous moment, that has never existed in the past and will never exist again. What binds us together is right now. We are here together.
You are part of what makes the experience that I am having, living in 2021. I am (a very small part) of what makes your experience of living in 2021. The humans here now are 7 billion points of light, some nearby and bright, some far and dim. The organisms are a trillion more lights. I’m happy for the ones that are close enough to warm my life. You’re making the sky shine too, from far away. I am breathing the same air that you are. The oxygen from the trees in my neighborhood park is filling your lungs a world away. You are breathing, I am breathing, and we are occupying this Earth at the same time. We are the only ones who will have been here in 2021.
Are we doing a good job? Well, we’re making artificial intelligence that creates something that might turn into its own kind of life – or may already be a new kind of organism. We’re also killing other species and destroying our environment at a terrifying rate. Hopefully the technology will endure through the planetary catastrophe, because we’re about to collapse our civilization. But with all the problems we have to solve, we have this one thing in common: This is our time to be here. It’s like finding out the checkout guy is from your hometown: Look at all we share! To find ourselves here, now. I feel so connected to you. Even when you make me crazy. I care about you, and I want the best for you. We are all we have.
Wow. That’s a great piece of writing. It really reminds me of my favorite parts of Cosmos. It captures the grand scale of time and space and reminds me that this tiny sliver of it is where we’ll live our entire lives. And, yes, it’s incredible to think that the people and things around us are likewise just an infinitesimal speck compared to all the things that have been and will be. Oh, what a time to be alive! 😀
Also, the final paragraph reminds me of the Cosmos chapter “Who speaks for Earth?” Of course, in one literal sense, Earth speaks for Earth, including all the bacteria and trees and inanimate parts. But, in effect, humankind is the main thing expressing itself in this corner of the cosmos, and we “speak” by how we treat each other, ourselves, the rest of the planet, and world we leave to the future.
This was great… inspiring, chilling, humbling, and interesting. Thanks!
Thank you, Dan! I love that you mentioned “Who Speaks for Earth?” I’ve thought about that question a lot, and haven’t exactly wrapped my head around what I want to say about it. But I’m glad you see that we’re already talking about that question. I appreciate you reading and responding!