The Third Degree

Image by Daniel Tello via Flickr

I was twelve the first time I saw the ocean in person. I was in the front seat of a minivan full of sixth graders, and I exclaimed “there it is! It’s so big!” I couldn’t believe that when you looked out onto the ocean, all you could see was ocean. It wasn’t until a few years later that I realized that when you’re standing on the coast, you’re on the edge of the continent. Each time I put my feet in the ocean water, I think about the fact that I’m on the edge of my little world.  I am such a small being compared to the beautiful expanse of water.

I was eighteen the first time I saw the Grand Canyon. I was in the back seat of a twelve-passenger van and I’ll never live down my first reaction upon seeing one of God’s most amazing creations. Apparently “It’s lumpy!” is not the regular response. I thought, because it’s called the Grand Canyon that it was just a big hole in the Earth; it’s not. HIking the Grand Canyon was one of the most moving and rewarding experiences of my life. Just like being at the ocean, I am reminded that I am so very small in such a very large world.

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