It’s a beautiful night Mr. Strauss even though there’s no moon, look at all the stars can you find the big dipper?
It would be easy to think that the stars you see from sea are different from the ones you see from land. There are certainly more of them. Out here, far away from the light pollution of shore-side life, the stars scatter across the night like diamonds in velvet. Thousands upon thousands, impossible to count. Last time I tried to star-gaze it was too windy out to truly attempt it, and I was with a group which, fun as it can be, isn’t quite the same. Star-gazing for me is a solitary thing. I suppose I consider it a form of meditation. It’s certainly not scientific, I couldn’t point out a constellation if my life depended on it. I just find sitting looking at them very calming somehow.
At any rate, the other night on our way into vancouver we found ourselves in a very calm passage of water. Barely even a sigh of wind. So I wandered out to the bow and perched on one of the seldom used benches out there, let the racous of the Officer’s Bar fade from my awareness, and lost myself in the stars.
Since we’re out in the middle of nowhere, it’s easy to forget the date, I knew there was due to be a meteor shower at some point this month, but I didn’t know it was this weekend. Not until a single streak of light shot across my vision. Just one. I consider myself lucky, I haven’t seen a shooting star since I was a child.
There are times when this job is hard, when it’s draining and tiring and you want nothing more than to go home. I’m ashamed to say that this particular contract there have been more of those times than I expected.
But then there are the lit up moments that make you remember exactly why it is you do this…
Make a wish….