At night I like to go out and look at the sky. Where I live, the star field isn’t spectacular, but I have a nice view. On clear nights, I can see the planets, as seasons allow.

When I stand out in the crisp evening air, after everyone has gone to bed, I look at those stars and my mind begins to wander . . . How many years it has taken for that light to reach my eye. The star I’m viewing may no longer exist. Who knows what is in its place now?

Are there others out there? What are they thinking right now, other than ways to give me the dreaded anal probe when they abduct me?

It amazes me that most of us walk around only aware of what exists in our field of vision. After all, the universe is as infinitely small as it is large. There are things going on all around us everyday that we either can’t see, or just won’t.

Those stars, to me, are so much more than flickering light thingies in the sky thing above me. They are evidence that there is something beyond me and my sphere of influence. These gigantic balls of gas are formed in ways that I will never understand, no matter how many books I read on the subject.

Stars, galaxies, other planets. My mind whirls at the possibilities of what will occur in this little universe of ours in the years to come.

We are only at the beginnings of our space faring. We may go to Mars, or discover the ability to travel among the stars. Of course, when we do we’ll probably litter all over the place and the star Sirius will become known as Disney’s Sirius.

Actually, I kind of look forward to some things . . . They’re currently working on something known as “The Space Elevator.” (Great name! Reminds me of the time I took the Giant Flying Cylinder to the Corporate Owned Park of Themed Amusements, Gifts and Hotels.) The Space Elevator will allow us to go into low orbit without a rocket. It’s long and complicated and I don’t understand it. However, that doesn’t stop me from thinking it’s cool.

Think about it, though. When space becomes commercial, how long before Disney opens Disneyland Orbit? Space Mountain in zero g!

I actually think a space theme park would be cool, though that means there will be a lot of ugly people who can’t control their kids in space. Perhaps we should only allow good parents to make the trip?

It also opens up the opportunity for people to figure out a way to live in space. After a year or two, gravity will become unbearable for them. They’ll be happiest floating outside the influence of Earth’s gravity. Could that be all that bad?

These are thoughts that float through my mind in my late evening visits with my celestial neighbors. Though I know I’ll never get to experience space myself, I’d love to leave this little marble for just a day and go out there to look. What is it like? What do the other planets look like up close? Hell, I’d be happy just to orbit the moon for a few hours. I’ve always wondered how much crap the Apollo astronauts left behind. I could go to the Earth, pick it up, and sell it on eBay!

My odd thoughts concluded, I come back into a house with is still with the calmness of my sleeping family. I walk through the dark house, look at the kids sleeping and crawl into bed with a feeling of wonderment.

I try to hold on to it for a while because, I know, by morning the wonderment will be gone. Replaced by the daily grind, the need for money, safety, health.

But, periodically through they day I’ll make rocket noises and pretend, just for a moment, that when I look out my window I’ll be magically transported to an orbiting space station held in place by the gravity of Jupiter.

Hell, I’d be happy if I looked out the window and saw a beach. But I figure, why dream small?