One of the beautiful things about the universe is that there is no sign at the entrance with a big marker that says, “You must be this tall to ride this ride.” We’re all allowed into this strange adventure in the Milky Way. Now of course there are those who think this is actually quite terrible—that we’re all permitted to show up here so small and defenseless in the first place. But when it comes down to it, “It’s a great big universe, and we’re all really puny.” Regardless of our feelings, it’s just true, and most of us spend the vast majority of our lives trying to cope with our inescapable cosmic tininess in some way or another, to varying degrees of success.
It really just comes down to a matter of perspective. How big do you need to be in order to feel okay in this great, big universe? Or safe? And what do you need in order to feel joy? How big does it need to be? The “money can’t buy happiness” record is warbly and warped from centuries of spinning around endlessly, but look—even those we call the most powerful and wealthy right now—for all their blustering, there’s a real sense they feel just as small and scared of their own mortality as the rest of us. The biggest houses are no match for the tiniest molecules.
Still, small or not, we human creatures can do things some others can not—we can intentionally choose things, even if it’s only how we decide to see. And what you see, of course, depends on what you’re looking for.
So where is there delight to be found in all this madness? We’d cheekily like to encourage you to do the exact opposite of what all the motivational speakers tell you to do—don’t think big. Think small! Look for the tiny wonders, wonders much smaller even than you. Look at the stubbornness of life in spring, breaking out of the cold ground. Look for grass growing through cracks in the cement. Watch an earthworm wander around in the dirt after rain. Find some bugs on a tree and compliment them on their shiny red coats. At home, seek out a dustball under your bed, and ask it its name.
These days were not made for “go big or go home.” These days it’s pretty much “go home no matter what.” Do what you need to, what life requires of you, with the gifts you have. But pull out an old-school magnifying glass and sleuth for the tiny delights that can be found everywhere. Take time to listen for just a while, for the smallest thing you can hear. If you’re out for a stroll, tuck up like a snail by a tree somewhere and watch the world from a ground-level view.
In the grand scheme of things, we are all tiny. And sometimes we grow a bit over the years, some of us more than others—trees, whales, fruit flies, moss, and pomegranates. The weird universal math keeps multiplying and dividing and doing things we don’t even understand. But though we are all small in varying degrees, it’s also nice to remember the words of the great poet Anonymous, who wrote:
Don’t worry if your job is small,
Anonymous
And your rewards are few.
Remember that the mighty oak,
Was once a nut like you.
The Serious Mirth Society 