So I’ve
been thinking about writing, teaching, life, the universe, and everything. It’s
some heady stuff, to be sure. And what strikes me is that there are many paths.
And I like that. I want there to be many paths. I want there to be not just the
road not taken, but also the road yet to be made, the exploration waiting to
happen. I think it’s on these avenues where the best of humanity can come out.
The urge to explore, to see what’s out there, is when we stretch ourselves to
the fullest.
I know Gene
Roddenberry saw it that way by creating Star
Trek, and I agree wholeheartedly. I
want there to be more exploration, not just of outer space (but I’d be lying if
I said I wouldn’t give everything I had for warp drive), but of humanity, of history,
of science, of just plain curiosity to learn something new every day.
I remember
watching Neil DeGrasse Tyson in a video talk about the meaning of life to a
child who asked the question, and his answer was perfect: to learn something
new every day. I try to do that, mostly to satiate my insatiable curiosity.
But there
are many ways to learn, to explore. I love delving into stories, both reading
others and writing my own to explore all the facets of humanity. And I learn
from them. And I want to continue doing this. It’s how I think humanity learns
best. We are creatures of story, and story encompasses so very many paths, we
never know where we’ll end up. But I’m eager to find out.