Yes, the eclipse was very cool. Although, I was mystified by the "watch parties". There were thousands of people gathered on beaches and in stadiums to watch it. That part I kind of get. The reaction I did not. They were all cheering and clapping. I'm going to have to think about that for a while.
A different thought struck me this morning. Scientists can measure the orbits of the earth, moon, and sun in time and space and predict when these things are going to happen. They were already talking, yesterday about the next full eclipse in 2024 (I think that is what they said). We can predict all kinds of things about the solar system, such as when Haley's comet will come by, when we will see meteor showers, when eclipses will be, and so forth. We can do that because there is great order and regularity in the universe.
Order and regularity. Yet, scientists also tell us that the universe began with an uncaused explosion. An explosion of matter that existed in forever past. There are two problems right there. One, explosions are not spontaneous, they need a cause. Two, matter needs a cause too. But that is not what I was thinking about today. I was thinking about the order and regularity.
Have you ever seen an explosion that produced order and regularity? Every explosion I've ever seen produced chaos and destruction. But we're supposed to believe that a really big explosion, the biggest ever, produced the order and regularity of our solar system, and galaxy, and universe? I'm with Frank Turek--I don't have enough faith to be an atheist.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Friday, August 11, 2017
Driveways and Porches
I guess that to most people nowadays driveways and porches are strictly practical. A porch is a place to put a welcome mat and a driveway is a place to park your car for the short period of time you are actually at home each day. But I'm kind of a nostalgic sap and I realized the other day that they have had an interesting role in my life.
I was standing in the driveway waving good by to my son. He is 17 and he was only going three blocks away to spend the night at his Nana's house. No big deal. Except watching him drive away was tough. It made me think about how proud I am of him and the young man that he is. But it also made me think that the times I get to spend waving him down the road are getting more and more limited with each passing day.
It got me remembering. We have this tradition in my family that when someone comes for a visit we all stand and wave as they leave when the visit is over. Sometimes it is from the driveway and sometimes it is from the porch, depending on the house. I can remember pulling away from my grandparents house and watching them wave from the porch. I can remember sitting on that porch as a college student and waving as my parents drove away. I can remember similar instances from houses of parents, aunts & uncles, grandparents, and friends. Its a small thing. But it means a lot to me because the relationships mean a lot to me.
I have other memories of my grandmothers' porches. Most porches these days are pretty stinking small. But back before air conditioning porches were large and shady. They were the perfect spot to sit on a rocker or glider and get a little cool breeze on a hot day. People sat on porches and watched the neighborhood kids play. They walked across the street and visited neighbors on porches. They talked about life or just listened to the birds. They also listened for the ice cream truck. These are the kinds of things we did on my grandmothers' porches.
Ya, I'm a sap. But you know, it wouldn't hurt if we all spent a little more time sitting on our porches or under a tree or someplace like that with our kids. Just to sit and talk or listen to the birds, no cell phones, no agendas. Just sit and be together; get to know each other better. Nope, that wouldn't hurt at all.
I was standing in the driveway waving good by to my son. He is 17 and he was only going three blocks away to spend the night at his Nana's house. No big deal. Except watching him drive away was tough. It made me think about how proud I am of him and the young man that he is. But it also made me think that the times I get to spend waving him down the road are getting more and more limited with each passing day.
It got me remembering. We have this tradition in my family that when someone comes for a visit we all stand and wave as they leave when the visit is over. Sometimes it is from the driveway and sometimes it is from the porch, depending on the house. I can remember pulling away from my grandparents house and watching them wave from the porch. I can remember sitting on that porch as a college student and waving as my parents drove away. I can remember similar instances from houses of parents, aunts & uncles, grandparents, and friends. Its a small thing. But it means a lot to me because the relationships mean a lot to me.
I have other memories of my grandmothers' porches. Most porches these days are pretty stinking small. But back before air conditioning porches were large and shady. They were the perfect spot to sit on a rocker or glider and get a little cool breeze on a hot day. People sat on porches and watched the neighborhood kids play. They walked across the street and visited neighbors on porches. They talked about life or just listened to the birds. They also listened for the ice cream truck. These are the kinds of things we did on my grandmothers' porches.
Ya, I'm a sap. But you know, it wouldn't hurt if we all spent a little more time sitting on our porches or under a tree or someplace like that with our kids. Just to sit and talk or listen to the birds, no cell phones, no agendas. Just sit and be together; get to know each other better. Nope, that wouldn't hurt at all.
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