The Singing Magpie

Meteor showers are incredible events to experience. I once saw a meteor shower that looked like rain back in August of ‘99.
It was the peak of the Leonid meteor shower that year, which produced storms of about 3,000 meteors per hour.
It was possibly the most remarkable thing that I have ever seen. My mother and I sat in our car just staring in awe as the pre-dawn sky rained on our sleepy town.  I will never forget it.
But if you see just one while you are staring into the sky lost in thought, it can still take your breath away.
One meteor can make a lasting impression or even make you feel special.
Back when my parents would pick me up to spend the weekends in my hometown, I would often lay in the backseat looking at the stars during the long drive.
I have always been a lover of the night sky and spent countless hours of my youth studying the planets and memorizing the names of stars and constellations.
In the car that night, I was drifting in and out of consciousness.  At one point I fixed my gaze at the Big Dipper. It is usually pretty easy to locate and you can use it to orient yourself in respect to the night sky.
As I tried to make out the rest of the constellation, a very bright meteor suddenly streaked through the middle of my field of vision.
It surprised me so much that I sat up to watch it streak toward the horizon. It left a trail of smoke and dust in its wake.
There was no scheduled meteor shower that night, and people rarely look at the sky at 3 a.m., so it occurred to me that I might have been the only person to see it.
It was a selfish thought, but the odds might be in my favor. Who else would be looking at that exact point in the sky, at that exact time in that location? Who would be able to catch that meteor hitting the Earth’s atmosphere in the matter of a mere second if they were not paying attention?
 It was then that I was reminded that time and life is precious. In relation to history, our lives are very small in comparison to the big picture.
Maybe life isn’t as mundane as it comes off to be. Maybe there is some bigger purpose we are all here to fulfill.  We are here to be the meteors in each other’s lives.
I would like to think that shooting star was mine — my special pinprick in time where I could just sit and think of nothing but that moment.
On November 17, the Leonid meteor shower will peak once again.  Take some time out to watch it and remember that we are just pinpricks in time.  Remember how precious and short life is.

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