Damn, you can see stars

When I grew up, Tom getting his head smashed by Jerry cracked me up everytime. After being bludgeoned, stars would float around Tom's head. That seemed like funny animation to me. When I was in 1st grade, my brother accidentally hit me in the face with a baseball bat. When I hit the ground, everything darkened except for white splotches catching my eyes all over. Each one shined for less than a second. But they constantly came out as the others disappeared. I remember the stars then the emergency room. That happened to me two more times in my life: a crackback in football practice and a kick to the face from my capoeira instructor. I don't want it to happen again, but you really see stars.

"stars" to me has always meant ten or so, a dozen or more on a good night. you live for years in the middle of houston, texas and between the light pollution and the smog, there's not a hell of a lot to see in the night sky. the moon, a few stray airplanes, lots of cloud/smoggish things, random radio towers, and a smattering of stars. that's it.

i mean, i've seen a true night sky a couple times, on excursions to big bend and such. but it's so few and far between i almost forget.

up here it's better, but there's still a lot of light generated by a campus this large.

on a road trip though... six of us were going to a friend's house, in the country, couple hours off campus. we arrived late in the evening, 9 pm or so. i step out of the too-small car, shiver at the sudden cold, and look up. there's a moment of quiet, and then a sudden exclamation of "DAMN! you can see STARS!!" as i viewed the milky way stretch its majestic self across the sky.

the rest, knowing me as the city girl i am, just laughed quietly and tugged me inside to the warmth.

Here where I live, in cooma, it is deadly boring, but you do get breath taking views of the stars. Being a country town there is no pollution and the stars shine so spectacularly bright... it is amazing! I can spend hours just gazing at the stars here, they are truly majestic things.

When the planet's are in the right position you can even see Mars and Venus on occasion thanks to the incredulously clear skies here. There is nothing better than gazing at the stars and having a fresh cool breeze blowing over you.

For all of you who live in cities and can't experience this (often) I truly feel sorry for you. It is one of the true wonders of life, at least for me.