Invisibilia

Lately, I've realized that there are too many things we take for granted in this world. I don't blame us. Some things are just there, and they always have been, and they always will be. But some people don't realize is that if you just take a second to look at everything you have, it's pretty cool. In light of this recent discovery of mine, I'm going to tell you the things I believe are taken for granted, and why they shouldn't be.

Image courtesy of Discover Magazine

First, the sun. It's a big yellow ball in the sky that you see during the day and don't see during the night. Yet, this big ball of hydrogen that's up in our sky is so much more than that. The sun is an incredible thing that we cannot live without. Earth is at the exact distance where the sun gives us just enough heat and light without frying us. How cool is that? If there was no sun, there would be no us. It's as simple as that. It's a source of light, a source of heat, a source of energy, and a source of life.

Image courtesy of 22 Words

Next, trees. Trees are completely underrated in society. First, they are GREAT to climb! Climbing trees is a great childhood memory for almost everyone (except for children of course, they're already living the dream). Getting up to the highest branch of a tree is such a great feeling! You feel like you can see everything on Earth from up there. You can even just sit in the middle of the tree, surrounded by leaves and branches. You feel like you're in a secret place that only you, squirrels, and birds ever have the pleasure of being in. Another great thing about trees is that they provide us with oxygen. Yes, the oxygen that we need to breath and live. As we keep slashing down trees to build homes, and make space to build homes, we have huge affects. We take away oxygen, increase carbon dioxide levels, and take away the homes and habitats of animals everywhere. Trees are amazing things, don't take them for granted.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Also, the stars. I myself am a huge fan of the stars! I think they're incredible. Astronomy is such a cool science because it helps us look at something we're made of. It's amazing that the tiny specks of light we see at night are huge balls of burning gas hundreds of lightyears away from us. These stars are the remnants of what created the universe, they are formed out of the chemicals that were left after other things formed. There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on the Earth. Needless so say, that's a lot. Stars are also incredible things to just look at. One night, go outside and lay down and just look at the stars. It's pretty cool. Here's an amazing video by one of my favorite scientists on stars.
We have a lot in life. We're lucky to live in the U.S. where we have opportunities and education and everything we need. But we should also take a step back once in a while and remember the basics, and how great they are.