Speck Upon Speck

My life, among the stars, is but a speck of dust upon a speck of dust, floating on a tiny speck of water vapor floating through the vacuum of space. In fact, it's a wonder that some giant nose doesn't inhale us and sneeze us out. In the grand scheme of things, the world itself is really nothing to the universe. Even our sun is infinitesimally small compared to the vast, spiraling body of stars, the Milky Way. Which might as well be an actual milk spill, in the grand scheme of the entire universe.

This being said, I guess that I should feel like anything I do here won't change anything. But I suppose that the human mind isn't configured to work that way. We dream of being recognized, our egos swelling as one or two people recognize our names. Don't most people dream of having a reputation that can be recognized throughout history? To be the next Washington, or Franklin, or Poe, or Newton? We drive ourselves with this, applying our skills and abilities to master a field that may or may not launch ourselves into the spotlight. We wonder of a time when some of our thoughts and ideas and quotes will be added to someone's quote book or used in an anonymous person's blog entry or to be the object of someone's Google search.

So yes, that is what I want. It may be shallow, it might not impress the universe or the swirling stars that orbit around us, oblivious of our existence. I don't know how, but somehow, I want to be successful and for people to know me. Through eloquent words and thought-inducing stories? Maybe. Through explosive discoveries in the world of science, shattering previous concepts of the laws of nature? Maybe.

Right now, I am just a student. I remain here on this speck of dust in this puddle of milk, contemplating my existence that doesn't matter, and coming to the conclusion that as a whole, our entire species just wants to be recognized. What a wonder that such a minuscule part of the universe can wonder at such great things. Maybe our speck has hope yet.