Many nights I can walk out my front door and meet up with a pair of bears, named Big Bear and Little Bear. One is more shy than the other it seems because I don’t often see her as well as the other Bigger Bear.
If you and I were standing next to each other and looking out for the Bears, you and would find it fairly easy to meet Big Bear, often called Ursa Major. She is not shy, in fact, in most city spaces, she is quite visible and social. Now her baby, or little one, or Ursa Minor, not so much. I could show you the North Star and tell you that is part of the Little Dipper, Ursa Minor. You might see it, you might not. Even if you did see it, you probably would see the other 6 stars that make up the baby bear body. Say that a bunch of times fast.
I know it’s there, I’ve seen it with my own eyes many times before, all seven stars in fact. Text books and scientists have confirmed it and many other observers as well. But you don’t see it.
At this point, you have some choices, do you believe in what you can’t see? Because someone told me so, or they promise that one day I will see it? Or it’s in learned books? Do I lie and say, Oh, Yea, I see it now, when really I didn’t see a thing? Do I say, whatever man, glad you see it but I don’t see it. Or do you suggest that we go over to the observatory to try to see it, or anyone of a dozen other questions or ideas.
This little exercise is an attempt to try an understand what/who we will put our trust in. Do you listen to trusted resources more than random resources and why? I tend to. Do you quit at the first sign of divergence from someone’s guidance or do you go on to the next step? Do you try something else or do you dismiss your source or resource? Do you take an opposing view such as, no way is there another Bear in the air up there, there is only one. My eyes don’t lie.
Well, you get my point, I hope. There is a lot of stuff that is being said these days, right? More than when I was growing up, that’s for sure. What is your way of figuring out how to respond to all that stuff?
Guy standing on corner in New York City, lots of people walking by and they see him clapping so loudly that you can’t ignore him. New Yorkers are good at ignoring people like him, just put their heads down and keep moving on. But someone, probably not a New Yorker comes along and wonders what the guys is clapping about. Hey buddy, what are you clapping for? I’m keeping the elephants away he says. Elephant, I don’t see no elephants around here, says the tourista guy. Exactly says the clapper guy and goes on clapping.
I suppose you could say they wee both right, but I wouldn’t. I would want to dig a little deeper before I thought poorly or proudly about them crazy New Yorkers. Anyhow, if it’s not cloudy tonight, give the Bear thing a shot. I will if you will.