“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Oscar Wilde
Light years ago, back in another time and space, which my calendar insists was February 2020—only two months ago—we hosted the closing reception of a photography and metal sculpture exhibition at our gallery. That evening, as I chatted with a young woman and author, the subject turned to the divine inspiration, which is channeled through artists as they create and how it affects unsuspecting people who engage with the art (one of my favorite topics!). In the course of our conversation, she told me about something she’d heard that stayed with me: our bodies and the stars in the sky are largely made up of the same substance.
My mind immediately conjured an image of a human silhouette filled to bursting with stars, and I’ve carried it with me since. I’ve been thinking about it even more lately, as a month and a half into quarantine—it’s only been a month and a half!—people all over the world are beginning to say to hell with this, I’m going out. When I run my “essential” errands now, I notice there are definitely more cars on the street. In Paris, people needing their daily dose of hanging out with friends in cafes basically ignored the stay at home order issued on March 17. By March 18, 4,095 Parisians had been fined for the violations. And more recently, in states like Michigan and Minnesota, the news is filled with images of people in the streets protesting the lockdowns and social distancing guidelines. Those folks think they’re demonstrating because of the economy and their political right to do whatever they please, but really, it’s the human contact they crave. Why? Because the law of attraction says that like attracts like, and it’s true. For instance, conservatives have conservative friends; liberals enjoy being with other liberals. But really, our attraction to each other and our pining for one another is more profound than that. It’s the stardust in us that wants to be with the stardust in others.
“I have nostalgia for last month,” said a prospective tenant for our empty studio apartment, which used to bustle with the comings and goings of tourists and others from around the world. He was talking about March. When he said it, I, who have sometimes flirted with buying an I hate people t-shirt (it bears a cat being booked for a crime), realized that my husband and I had just spent an inordinate amount of time with this guy and his wife, chewing the fat about all kinds of things having nothing to do with the rental—all while wearing masks or bandanas, which had us all looking like bandits.
So to those of you fretting about and bemoaning the lack of human contact, here’s my message: hang tight. We will soon come up with ways to loosen those restrictions without putting anyone’s life in danger. Just this morning I received a text from a friend, who asked if we could consider having a socially-distanced cocktail in my backyard tomorrow; she would bring her own adult beverage. The text came with a GIF of a tearful rabbit which read, I miss your face. I thought about it for two seconds. Let’s see, I was just tested a short while ago, and the results came back negative; I have a mask, she has a mask. We have gloves. We can sit six feet away from each other. Yes! I could almost see the stars in her eyes.
There’s a reason we love looking up at the nighttime sky in search of stars. They are us! So, for a while longer, it may not look the same as it did before—sitting across a table with friends and sharing a meal will have to wait—but the magnetic pull of the twinkling stars in our bodies and spirits will find a way.
Image courtesy of Karancholera.com.blogspot
Beautiful take on this! I love this point of view. I miss your face too!
Hello my twinkling little star ⭐️ and loving 💜, I am all I with the flow of things as they may be now. We know so we’ll that the only constant thing in this life is change.
The night sky is amazing, the constellations are there to reminds us that though seemingly distant from us, in reality is just a thought, a breath and a heartbeat 💗 away.
Love 💕 you and miss you 😘
I love this take.
We are Stardust, we are bonded. I miss your face just a little less now. But I crave more… We humans crave connection. Sometimes it’s insatiable. We also bend like the trees in the wind. This too shall pass—and while things won’t go back to the way they were, they will be richer and deeper for we now know and appreciate the value of our bonds . ❤️❤️❤️
So beautiful…like the night sky.
For quite some time, I’ve been in alignment with that statement, that truth, also Carine! It feels delicious. Honestly, I feel like I’ve been feeling our collective stardust even more during this historically poignant time. I am a combined introvert/extrovert, yet SO LOVE MY ALONE TIME! We’ve talked about it too, lol! I’ve been enjoying the solitude. It’s allowed my MUSE to seek more space in my being & my home. My Mom transitioned at February’s end, just b4 all of this peaked, so my grieving was already in affect. I do miss teaching live & have adapted to energy work w/ clients remotely. I can see your beautiful face and feel your energy through your writing & on the phone. Now more than ever, I’m grateful that I really enjoy a fine dinner & happy hour w/ me!
ThankYou for sharing the love!
Thanks for your kind words, Lauren! I hear you. I love my friends, and I’m also enjoying this delicious time of solitude!
I love what you wrote Carine we will continue to shine!!
Thanks, Barbara. I agree!
I want to read this piece every morning for the rest of my life. Thank you for the reminder to see the starlight struggling to shine through the black holes that sometimes blot it out.
And, I’m going to make a t-shirt with this on it:
“It’s the stardust in us that wants to be with the stardust in others.” So beautiful…thank you.
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