Through a twist of fate an adventurous news anchor, Bradley Jackson, is recruited to do a live broadcast aboard a sub-orbital flight around Earth. After escaping Earth’s gravity she, and the other two passengers playfully float through the capsule, all enjoying the exhilarating liberation of weightlessness. 

Bradley is no stranger to human conflict. She has witnessed firsthand and reported on some of the worst of humanity. Seeing the whole of Earth from the vast expanse outside her window she is captivated, and a rare softness crosses her face as she relates her experience to the people on the planet. “After two years of the pandemic and now a war in Ukraine, it’s incredible to look down and see how connected we all are.”

The scene is from the third season of Apple TV’s, “The Morning Show,” portraying vividly how a change of perspective can make a meaningful difference. 

It’s been a habit of mine, when I get bogged down with ground level hardships, that I imagine I’m sitting on the Moon. Sometimes I feel like the entirety of humanity is in pain, or causing harm as though all of us have lost our moral compass. For a different point of view I go for a walk in the woods and when, at times the turmoil is too intense I moon-sit.

I picture myself perched on a moon rock surrounded by total silence. In that frigid, barren landscape nothing of the ‘stuff’ of daily life is present to distract my focus. In complete isolation what do I see? How do I feel gazing upon the blue planet of my origin? … Our planet is one whole entity and it is breathtaking. 

Before me a stunningly beautiful orb in elegant proximity to the sun hangs in space. I see glowing, crystalline blue oceans and vibrant green lands. The deserts are a warm relief against the cerulean seas. All this under swirls of marshmallow white clouds. I begin to have that same smile and star struck look on my face as Bradley had while spellbound by the unified, undivided Earth, far from the dissonance of ground level problems. This is why I came, to get a different perspective.

Another way I shift my attention from the in-my-face chaos lies in one of the attributes I understand is given to eagles in Native American culture … The eagle symbolizes taking the long view. While riding the currents high in the sky this powerful raptor sees with perfect clarity up to a mile away. 

Being gravity bound it only makes sense that in the main our collective vision is limited to the push and pull of ground level maneuvering; the economy, who’s in power, disease, hunger, war, human rights, poverty, education … The list goes on. It’s different when I’m riding on the back of a magnificent bird. Strong wingbeats free me from the pull that holds me to the ground, and carry me into the heights. The wind whips around my face, clears my senses and I have a chance to see as the eagle sees. I get a change of perspective.

I need that shift in my thinking to cope with the fragmented, chopped up political maneuvering and the damage done to the planet by human incursion. I need to take the long view when confronted with rain forest demolition, melting icebergs, polluted oceans, over-population, animal extinctions, and agricultural chemistry … Only a few of the consequences of our short sightedness.

Our ineptitude and lack of respect for our mother planet has negatively impacted the once pristine eco-systems. Voices threaten doom right around the corner. Maybe that’s true. Maybe it’s mainly our lives that are in danger if we keep misbehaving. To quote George Carlin, “The planet will shake us off like a bad case of fleas … ” Certainly correction is needed and I doubt we will be the ones to do it. 

People, stars, and planets move through space at different speeds. What is a lifetime for us is merely a cosmic wink. Even trees whisper this truth to listening ears … Weathering all long before we are born and continuing on after we are gone. If the Earth is cast into another ice age, or wiped out by nuclear warheads there is reason to believe that over geologic time life will regenerate. It will find a way to flourish once again, our bones nourishing the growth of a re-awakening planet. 

I understand that Earth has existed for 4.5 billion years. My puny human brain can’t really grasp that amount of time. 4.5 billion is beyond my comprehension. Yet, the immensity of that number seeps into my soul bringing with it a sense of quiet peace. Our goldilocks planet will most likely reconcile the horror of human created damage in cosmic time. 

In light of that far reaching perspective I’m content to be an infinitesimally small dot making my gravity-bound way through life. When I can see clearly I am at peace trusting the ultimate fate of humankind and this blue planet to the formidable forces in the universe. In the meantime I will do all I can to have a positive impact on my world, however small that impact may be.

When I do get mired down in the difficulties of the day, I remind myself that a better perspective is possible. I will listen to the trees, soar on the wings of a mighty raptor, or perch on a rock in the barren lunar landscape with a breathtaking view … And, there’s plenty of room for others, perhaps I’ll meet you there.