Several weeks ago I was driving home to Crystal River from Inverness. It was late and I was tired, 486 was dark and quiet, I started to zone out. I began to roll the window down to get a quick burst of air to perk me up the last five miles of the drive, as I did I glanced out the window at the night sky – and practically ran off the road.
What happened to make me do this you ask? A lost wandering cow? A wreckless driver? A UFO? No, it was the night sky. The brilliantly beautiful, clear, star strewn sky. I actually slowed down and pulled off the road for a minute. I couldn’t even recall the last time I had seen stars shine so brightly. I’m positive I lost my breath for a moment.
When I got home I stood in the driveway for a few extra minutes just staring at the sky. It’s really amazing the how clear the stars shine without the adulterations of big city lights. It was something I had never given much thought to living in a city, one of those little things you forget about and don’t realize how much you actually miss.
There’s just something about the sky, something about the stars so high above, it brings peace and clarity of mind. It’s like a reminder that we need to stop and notice the little things. Stop and appreciate what’s around us.
Later in that week I was visiting a friend who lives several miles outside of town. While sitting on the back porch I instantly became mesmerized but the night sky again, I was transfixed and didn’t want to move. It was raw and beautiful, even the lights of the mall slightly taint the view of the night sky from my neighborhood.
At this point I determined that I was crazy in the head, that I was the only person in Citrus County who gazed at the stars. The only one who appreciated the stars in the sky because of their association with a small town community. And I was ok with that.
However, a week or so after this I was at another friend’s house right off of the Kings Bay. There was a small group of us out there, talking about football and solving the problems of the world. One of my friends made a comment about the stars. My ears perked up. I wasn’t the only one who noticed them! We then had a delightful conversation about how the stars really do shine brighter in Citrus County - away from the saturation of city lights, skyscrapers, and pollution.
After these occurrences I realized that stargazing was definitely worthy to add to the list…of reasons why.
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