The Conversation

It was a warm breezy summer’s night in Inverness, Florida. My dad and I were sitting outside on the porch of my grandparent’s house relaxing after a long day. I stared out into the night listening attentively to the songs of the animals. The smell of my father’s cigar wafted strongly over my nose making me sigh with contented happiness. I looked towards the sky only to see millions of stars staring down at me. Never had I seen the sky so bright and full with its cosmic wonders. I smiled, staring at the sky in awe. Suddenly my father too, looked up at the sky and asked me a question the started the best conversation I ever had. “Do you believe that there is someone out there watching us?” His face played a look of marvel and calmness. I looked back at him, confused of what he had to say I exclaimed, “You mean someone like God or an angel or perhaps an alien?” My father took another puff of his cigar and replied, “I mean other life.” I sat there and pondered for a moment, thinking of what I really felt. “Yes I do believe in other life forms. I’m sure they all don’t look like the green Martian men that are on TV but there must be other kinds of life that are like microbes and bacteria at the very least,” I declared excitedly. My father chuckled and put down his withering cigar. “I feel the same way,” retorted my father. “With other planets out there, there surly must be different life forms too.”
What once started as a simple question now became an in depth conversation. Back and forth like tree branches in a storm, we talked about parallel universes, different planets, black holes, stars, and other life forms. We also talked about facts from our favorite science series, The Universe. It almost seemed like we were two kids making up an imaginary world that was only explicable to those who believed in it. The conversation sparked wild images and thoughts that only made me want to learn more, to see for myself what was the universe was like. My heart raced wildly like a beating drum, as I hung on to my father’s words and let my imagination consume me.
Yet the more we talked the more I felt a powerless sentiment in my heart that gnawed at me, making it hard to sit still. I realized that humanity would probably never get to see other life forms or go to different planets or universes during my lifetime. I looked to the sky as if there might be an answer written in the starry night. My father soon learned of my distress and said, “You never know what might happen in the near future.” I did not respond so he pushed forth, “What really matters is what you do on earth now and tomorrow. What discoveries you can find and solve to make whom you are the best person you can be. Earth is a beautiful, mysterious place, and our home. Why go anywhere else?” I looked up at him and smiled benevolently. All was clear to me now.
I have thought of this night many times over the years and realized how it changed me. It made me see that it’s ok to stand out and think out of the box because that’s what makes you unique and not just another face in the crowed. In addition, it taught me not to take things for granted and appreciate them for what they are.