By Mandy Feder —
Last week after retrieving my childhood friend from the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport and bringing her back to Lake County, I was apologizing profusely, “Oh wow, Jackie, sorry the lake smells so bad.”
She was saying “wow,” too, but not for the same reason. She stared with wonder into the night sky.
“Would you just look at all those stars,” she said, as she named the visible constellations.
I guess sometimes when you feel a little down about one particular situation, all you have to do is look up.
It”s about perspective.
Jackie and I reconnected after nearly 30 years and found our friendship was definitely in the stars, too.
The first time I was made aware that I took the immense Lake County skyscape for granted, was courtesy of Sanford, another childhood friend from back in Amherst, Mass.
Speaking of stars, a favorite writer was laid to rest this week.
I started reading Gore Vidal”s books at about age 8. A couple of years ago, my Uncle Mark sent me a few of his books, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Vidal was an author, playwright, politician, celebrity and commentator.
He was 86 and had been sick for quite some time.
I wasn”t as sad that he died, as I am happy he lived.
Vidal wrote: “Because there is no cosmic point to the life that each of us perceives on this distant bit of dust at galaxy”s edge, all the more reason for us to maintain in proper balance what we have here.”
I”m not too cosmic of a person and tend to be a little bit skeptical about just about everything. But I still make the same wishes when I see stars fall from the sky on summer nights. It always makes me smile.
People who work in law enforcement always tell me there are more bizarre happenings and fights on nights when the moon is full.
If I take the time to look, I get lost in the wonder of the vast universe up there.
There is so much that can be written about this particular subject. I had my sentences seemingly perfect in my head as I drove to a meeting in Vacaville today.
But my thoughts vanished on my way back to the office and I struggled when I returned to organize and make the connections.
I guess the stars just weren”t aligned.
Mandy Feder is the Managing Editor at Lake County Publishing. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or 263-5636 ext. 32. Follow on Twitter @mandyfeder1.
