“What is it I possess that would best define who I am?”
Thursday, 2 Jan 2025, 07:28
Visible to anyone in the world
Edited by Jim McCrory, Thursday, 2 Jan 2025, 11:15
"Tell me what you own, and I'll tell you who you are."
Image generated with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot
“What is it I possess that would best define who I am?”
The
day began like any other day on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle
Columbia was scheduled to complete its 28th mission. But at 9:00 AM Eastern
Time as Columbia re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, it took a devastating turn
due to a previously undetected flaw.
During
launching, a piece of the shuttles insolation struck the left wing, damaging
the thermal protection system. This apparent minor flaw became catastrophic
upon re-entry as superheated gases penetrated and undermined the wing, leading
to the shuttle’s disintegration over Texas. All seven crew members were
tragically lost, and fragments of the shuttle scattered over a great landmass.
In
the aftermath of the tragedy, it emerged among the debris a Runrig CD belonging
to Laurel Clark, the operational surgeon. For those unfamiliar with the
Scottish Celtic rock group, they have music and lyrics that deeply connect with
universal themes such as migration, spiritualty, attachment to the land and the
search for meaning.
Having
read about Laurel Clark's spirit, I can see how this music may have deeply
resonated with her, known for her adventurous spirit and appreciation for
understanding the universe we inhabit.
Runrig's
Stamping Ground was the album that emerged from the wreckage. Lyrics
that explore the human spirit with the intertwining of Celtic rhythms that
evoke both the personal and our collective journeys. Tracks like “Running to
the Light,” “The Stamping Ground,” and “Wall of China” speak to resilience and
the search for meaning, themes that undoubtedly mirrored Clark's own quest in
the cosmos. As an astronaut, she was part of a pioneering effort to explore
beyond Earth, to understand humanity’s place in the vast expanse of the universe.
It is easy to imagine her listening to Runrig’s evocative melodies while gazing
at the Earth from orbit, finding solace and inspiration in the music’s
grounding yet expansive themes.
The
recovery of the CD also serves as a poignant reminder of what is left behind in
the wake of tragedy. Laurel Clark and her fellow crew members perished in the
pursuit of knowledge and exploration; their lives woven into the fabric of
human progress. Yet, small artifacts like the Runrig album allow us to connect
to them on a personal level, to understand their loves, hopes, and dreams.
At
this stage of my life, with cancers eating away at my existence, I ponder on
that CD and legacy Laurel left behind, asking myself, “What is it I possess
that would best define who I am?”
This
question is as profound as what it means to be human. Here, I merge the two
ideas of this book I am writing, What it Means to Be Human: A Writer's
Notebook. I conclude this because, packed into my series of personal essays
are what defines me: my spirituality, my cares, wisdom gained, wisdom lost and
what really matters when we shift away from the fickleness of human pursuit and
vanity, as I run towards the light in my endeavour to embrace life’s meaning
and strive for the promised land.
This
reflection does not merely chronicle a physical journey but also captures a
spiritual sojourn towards understanding our place in the cosmos. It highlights
our enduring search for meaning and connection—both to fellow humans and the
Creator—underscoring that what we leave behind may be small in physical form
but vast in symbolic significance.
In
pondering the legacies, we craft and the artifacts of our lives, we find that
our true measure is not just in the paths we tread but, in the light, we leave
behind for others to follow.
“What is it I possess that would best define who I am?”
"Tell me what you own, and I'll tell you who you are."
Image generated with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot
“What is it I possess that would best define who I am?”
The day began like any other day on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia was scheduled to complete its 28th mission. But at 9:00 AM Eastern Time as Columbia re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, it took a devastating turn due to a previously undetected flaw.
During launching, a piece of the shuttles insolation struck the left wing, damaging the thermal protection system. This apparent minor flaw became catastrophic upon re-entry as superheated gases penetrated and undermined the wing, leading to the shuttle’s disintegration over Texas. All seven crew members were tragically lost, and fragments of the shuttle scattered over a great landmass.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, it emerged among the debris a Runrig CD belonging to Laurel Clark, the operational surgeon. For those unfamiliar with the Scottish Celtic rock group, they have music and lyrics that deeply connect with universal themes such as migration, spiritualty, attachment to the land and the search for meaning.
Having read about Laurel Clark's spirit, I can see how this music may have deeply resonated with her, known for her adventurous spirit and appreciation for understanding the universe we inhabit.
Runrig's Stamping Ground was the album that emerged from the wreckage. Lyrics that explore the human spirit with the intertwining of Celtic rhythms that evoke both the personal and our collective journeys. Tracks like “Running to the Light,” “The Stamping Ground,” and “Wall of China” speak to resilience and the search for meaning, themes that undoubtedly mirrored Clark's own quest in the cosmos. As an astronaut, she was part of a pioneering effort to explore beyond Earth, to understand humanity’s place in the vast expanse of the universe. It is easy to imagine her listening to Runrig’s evocative melodies while gazing at the Earth from orbit, finding solace and inspiration in the music’s grounding yet expansive themes.
The recovery of the CD also serves as a poignant reminder of what is left behind in the wake of tragedy. Laurel Clark and her fellow crew members perished in the pursuit of knowledge and exploration; their lives woven into the fabric of human progress. Yet, small artifacts like the Runrig album allow us to connect to them on a personal level, to understand their loves, hopes, and dreams.
At this stage of my life, with cancers eating away at my existence, I ponder on that CD and legacy Laurel left behind, asking myself, “What is it I possess that would best define who I am?”
This question is as profound as what it means to be human. Here, I merge the two ideas of this book I am writing, What it Means to Be Human: A Writer's Notebook. I conclude this because, packed into my series of personal essays are what defines me: my spirituality, my cares, wisdom gained, wisdom lost and what really matters when we shift away from the fickleness of human pursuit and vanity, as I run towards the light in my endeavour to embrace life’s meaning and strive for the promised land.
This reflection does not merely chronicle a physical journey but also captures a spiritual sojourn towards understanding our place in the cosmos. It highlights our enduring search for meaning and connection—both to fellow humans and the Creator—underscoring that what we leave behind may be small in physical form but vast in symbolic significance.
In pondering the legacies, we craft and the artifacts of our lives, we find that our true measure is not just in the paths we tread but, in the light, we leave behind for others to follow.
Running to the Light: Runrig. Running To The Light