It's Like Stepping Into the Grand Canyon

I had 12 hours to kill in 1992 between check-out and the flight from Phoenix to New York. I decided to drive to the Grand Canyon. I stood on Mather's Point and cried. First, I felt insubstantial, insignificant, and lost in the expanse but I didn't look away. After awhile I felt as if I was a part of that expanse and realized the world is much smaller than we think. 

I think we are needles in a cosmic haystack but that the haystack is a myth. Not being able to locate the man in the middle of that photograph is terribly frustrating because I believe I should be able to reach out my hand and find him. How can he possibly be unfindable when the world is so connected? 

I don't know and it's not fair.

Thomas Friedman tells us The World is Flat and I believe him. Therefore, how can this be so hard? 

People, walls suck. Walls are the reason for so much pain and destruction. And loneliness too. If you can reach through a wall and touch someone, please do that. It makes the world a much better place.

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My dad is on the far left. My brother, just to the right of the man in the middle: Alexander 'Sasha' Beloglazov. It is not OK that I can't find him. I don't care about the conflict with Russia. I CARE about Sasha.

Does anything else really matter in the end. I'm beginning to think, not so much.

Who do you know that you can't find? Who do you think about on the other side of the metaphorical cloud wall? Reach out your hand anyway. It's OK if  you can't see in the dark. I believe 'reaching' is how we turn the lights back on.

Go ahead. Do it. I did, and maybe I won't find him but I'll have tried. 

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ps. That metaphorical cloud wall is right in front of our faces and we cannot even see our neighbors through the fear. dammit. 

post post script:  I found him!!! Google and Microsoft translators: not too shabby. The communication is lovely. Try it.