Recently I was listening to some dudes talk about the age of the universe. They remarked that scientists recently discovered the universe is twice as old as originally thought.
They were referencing a new telescope that can see light farther away than the previous telescope.
They then acknowledged that we can only see as far as the current telescope allows us to see, admitting that there might be a time in the future where scientists determine that the universe is even older than they think it is now.
This is significant.
We often make decisions without having the total picture. We make these decisions using a telescope that can only bring us a certain amount of information. And we might miss by an inch or a mile, but usually don’t find out until later when our telescope inevitably receives an upgrade.
Should I take that job? Should I buy that house? This or that? Which way?
Questions.
Life forces us into these decisions and often gives us pieces of the puzzle, but we rarely get the box that it comes in. We don’t get to look at the picture as a whole and cheat our way into piecing it together.
On the contrary. We’re given a telescope with a limited view. The best we can usually do is know why we made the decision we made and be at peace with it in hindsight.
How easy is that to say? Peace is so simply thrown around like we can tangibly grab onto it. Until our decisions wreak havoc. Then we’re left wishing for a new telescope.
One day that telescope will come around and we’ll have more information, but again will lack the whole picture. This is where the beauty and mortality of life collide.
There’s something wonderful about the unknown. Life is precious because of it. Without all the answers we have to adapt, we have to fail, we have to wear out our heart.
We do this sometimes aimlessly, until at last! — another telescope.