I like competition, and I like racing, and I even like a fast-paced life, but sometimes, you need to stop and look around.
Last night was December 1, and there was a spectacular conjunction in the early evening sky. A new crescent moon, the planet Venus, and the planet Jupiter were clustered together about halfway up from the Western horizon. The moon and Venus were clearly visible from about an hour before sunset, and Jupiter became visible as the sun went down. It was amazing, to see the three brightest objects in the nighttime sky so close together.
Jupiter has been visible, and prominent, for over a year now, while Venus has been a brilliant evening star for the last several months. This conjuction, however, is only for one night, and when it's gone, it won't come back. At least, not for a long time. I'm no astonomer, so I can't tell you when.
What I can tell you, is that this got me to stop my evening ride, dismount, and take a look. I sat on a park bench for a while, and watched the sky. Sometimes, I wondered why I run so much, so fast, and so far. Mostly, I just took a break, and let my mind wander. The world is bigger than we are, and sometimes we need the reminder.
