Life’s Mystery … Solved In A Grain of Sand
A Grain Of Sand
If starry space no limit knows
And sun succeeds to sun,
There is no reason to suppose
Our earth the only one.
‘Mid countless constellations cast
A million worlds may be,
With each a God to bless or blast
And steer to destiny.
Just think! A million gods or so
To guide each vital stream,
With over all to boss the show
A Deity supreme.
Such magnitudes oppress my mind;
From cosmic space it swings;
So ultimately glad to find
Relief in little things.
For look! Within my hollow hand,
While round the earth careens,
I hold a single grain of sand
And wonder what it means.
Ah! If I had the eyes to see,
And brain to understand,
I think Life’s mystery might be
Solved in this grain of sand.
Just as there is nothing ordinary about life, there certainly is nothing ordinary about sand. In fact, as the images below reveal, there is more astonishing beauty going on in the world around us than meets our human sight. I challenge you to see beyond the limitations of human sight. I propose each grain of sand is a galaxy amid a galaxy of galaxies. The more you question, the more you know that you don’t know. That is what makes life exhilarating … for me.
“The total number of stars in the Universe is larger than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the planet Earth.” ~ Carl Sagan’s, Cosmos Episode 8, “Journeys in Space and Time.”
Sand grains magnified 110-250 times reveal each grain is unique.
The tip of a spiral shell has broken off and become a grain of sand. After being repeatedly tumbled by action of the surf this spiral sand grain has become opalescent in character. It is surrounded by bits of coral, a pink shell fragment, a foram (a type of protozoa) and volcanic material.
A handful of sand grains selected from a beach in Maui and arranged on a black background.
Magnified 250 times. Every grain of sand in the world is unique when viewed through a microscope.
Sand Magnified 4 X.
The glacially deposited sands around Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota, contain abundant sediments from the igneous and metamorphic minerals of the Lake Superior basin. A sample includes pink garnets, green epidote, iron-rich red agates, black magnetite, and hematite.
Puffy Stars — Star-Shaped Sand Grains from Okinawa. These tiny foram, a type of protozoa, secrete beautiful star-shaped, calcium carbonate shells, or tests.
A small grain of copper impacted into a larger grain of copper. These grains precipitated downwind of a smoke-belching copper smelter. (Magnification 110x)
Many grains of sand are tiny crystals (shiny, flat sided solids). Sand from Zushi Beach, Japan, contains what looks like a sapphire crystal. The crystal is larger than the surrounding grains and has survived eroding because of its hardness and quality.
Fragments of baby sea urchin shells. Biogenic sand, which forms from the remains of marine life, is the major ingredient of many tropical beaches. (Magnification 100x)
A magnified view of the tropical beach sand from the Caribbean island of St. John (U.S. Virgin Islands). The grains include porous fragments of brightly-colored corals, minute foraminiferan shells, fragments of sea shells and shiny, star-shaped sponge spicules.
A Grain of Sand – Nature’s Secret Wonder
The Amazing Microphotography of Dr. Gary Greenberg
Every grain of sand is a jewel waiting to be discovered. That’s what Dr. Gary Greenberg found when he first turned his microscope on beach sand. Gemlike minerals, colorful coral fragments, and delicate microscopic shells reveal that sand comprises much more than tiny beige rocks.
Author and photographer Dr. Gary Greenberg is a visual artist who creatively combines art with science. He has a Ph.D. in biomedical research from University College London and holds 17 patents for high-definition 3-D light microscopes. Dr. Greenberg lives in Haiku, Hawaii.
Carl Sagan famously remarked “the total number of stars in the universe is greater than all the grains of sand on all the beaches on the planet Earth.” It is estimated that the total number of ‘all’ grains of sand on the whole planet could be approximately 2000 billion billion. Scientists still believe there are more stars in the Universe. (hassers.blogspot.com)
And as to planets:
If a grain of sand represented an entire galaxy; so each grain of sand, or galaxy, contains 100’s of billions of stars, you would need to fill six rooms full of sand to contain all the galaxies in the known universe. If you drilled a tiny whole in one of the grains of sand, ‘our Milky Way universe,’ that would be the area that we have been capable of searching for planets so far. 534 planets have been discovered so far. (directedplay.com)
Buy the Images: www.sandgrains.com
Buy the Book: A Grain of Sand: Nature’s Secret Wonder by Dr Gary Greenberg
www.amazon.com
The Possibilitarian Project: “Moment of Truth”
below is an excerpt written by Tiffany Kirchner Dixon for Kelly Rae: The Possibilitarian Project
You see, my home situation was a little different from most. A wife at the age of 20, a mother at the age of 23, it wasn’t until my second child was born that our lives took a direction we could not possibly anticipate. Our youngest child was born with a disorder called Rett Syndrome. She is confined to a wheelchair, has dibilitating seizures, is non-verbal and eats through a feeding tube. Out of such tragedy came several gifts. The most important was unconditional love. Both the kind she has for me, and I have for her. The other gift has been perspective. The kind you gain when you live everyday with a child that truly has nothing to live for, yet can manage to wake up cheerful and have a smile on her face. It is a miraculous thing to witness and has brought my own life to a place where possiblity now rules. It has taught me that no matter how rough the road may be that you have a choice in the situation, even when there seems not to be any choice.
I stopped living in fear of judgement because one thing my daughter has taught me is there is no time to waste. I started to allow myself to change dreams into real concepts, rooted in the fact that the only failure was if I let my own cowardice hold me back. I also knew that if I was to be the best mother and wife I could be, that I must care about my own happiness and not just that of my husband and children. It is a very fine balance to find, but as the matriarch it is also our duty to teach our family how to nurture others as much as we nurture them. I wanted to have a creative career, to take a hobby and turn it into something bigger. I wanted the world to experience life through my eyes. I started wearing vintage prom dresses anywhere I wanted and if people teased me I shrugged it off. But mostly people embraced me. They could feel the happiness it brought to me, and it propelled them to take their own risks without fear of judgement.
_______________________________
The Possibilitarian Project is a great motivational movement. If you have not yet heard about it, you simply must check it out.
Kelly Rae Roberts is an artist, author, and Possibilitarian. You can visit Kelly Rae’s site at www.kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com.
Tiffany Kirchner Dixon is a mother and professional freelance photographer, and Possibilitarian. You can visit Tiffany Kirchner Dixon’s site at www.thefancyfarmgirl.com.
NO BEGINNING, NO END
A road to the Soul,
no beginning, no end.
It takes me up and down,
sometimes around a bend.
At times there are shadows
dancing among darkness and light.
Regardless, I am grateful
for the path called “Life.”
INSPIRATIONZ: MOTIVATIONAL ART
Modeling the human face is not the duplication of the obvious, but finding and bringing forth the intangible; however, it is by the reality of subtle volumes that the illusion of a soul is created.~Philippe Faraut
We all need a source of daily inspiration to help us overcome life’s challenges and unlock our potential for greatness.
Art collecting should be fun.~Bill Mack
The inspirationz concept, conceived in August 2009 by Inspirationz Inc managing director Terry Verhoeven, is simple: integrate the world’s most profound and inspiring words with their aesthetic equivalent in art. The mission: to inspire the world through art. Affordably.
With designs conceived in New Zealand (hence the ‘nz’ suffix in our name), the art and quotes are sourced from all over the world and throughout the ages.
The inspirationz product is exceptional, not only in terms of its quality but also for its value. For less than the price of re-fueling your car you can own an authentic printed copy of an original masterpiece that will fuel your enthusiasm for life, uplift the décor in your home or office, and provide you with a personalized gift for that special occasion.
Here are just a few of the features which makes purchasing an inspirationz fine art motivational print such a unique and uplifting experience:
The Art. Art is the perfect medium to convey what we can all aspire to; art speaks to us personally, directly, profoundly. The common element in all artwork used in inspirationz designs is the depiction of man’s essential nature – his and her proper state – as embodying strength, beauty, intelligence and self confidence. inspirationz engages the work of some of the world’s truly great artists, all of whom are represented in museums and/or some of the world’s finest art galleries;
Authenticity. inspirationz only uses imagery of original masterpieces. When you are looking at an inspirationz fine art print you are safe in the knowledge that you are looking at a print of the real thing – a reproduction of an original creation, not some imitation;
The Quotes. Our selection of quotes has been carefully sifted and chosen for their profundity and universality and then creatively integrated with the art. Many of the quotes are from inspiring figures of historical importance, including some of the greatest authors, poets, prophets and sages who have ever lived;
Educational. inspirationz.com provides meaningful background information on the content of its designs. Here on this website you can read bios on the artists, learn about the authors, confirm the provenance of the quotes, and, if the art is mythological, even glean some trivia. In other words, inspirationz products are not only motivational, they are educational too;
Quality. Our imagery typically incorporates exceptional photographic detail and is 
printed at photo resolution (300 dpi) using a 200 line screen printing process. Our prints are made of 85 pound/200 gsm paper with a satin matt finish for a high quality look and feel. Light fast inks are used for color longevity;
Service. Purchasing via inspirationz.com means that your order will be processed promptly and reliably. We ship worldwide. In fact, we are so convinced that you will be happy with your purchase that we give you a 60 day 100% satisfaction money back guarantee*.
It is our sincere desire that you take a moment now to browse our full catalogue and confirm all of the above for yourself. There is something here for everyone. So enjoy, make some inspired selections, and stoke your passion for life (or that of someone you know) by hanging some inspirationz™ on your walls today!
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HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE ‘BEFORE I DIE’ PROJECT?
Designing Community: Candy Chang’s ‘Before I Die’ Project
by Kaid Benfield
An artist uses blackboards and chalk to transform an abandoned New Orleans house into a creative symbol of rebirth.
Okay, this is merely one of the most creative community projects ever. In post-Katrina New Orleans, a badly degraded house about a mile or so east of the Tremé district looked like the photo you see below, only without the art. As you can see, it has changed.
Artist Candy Chang had an idea to turn the property into a sort of collective performance-art piece in which all are invited to participate, simply by declaring what is important to them. Chang has provided chalk, a large-scale blackboard, and the necessary permits.
The house has been purchased and will be renovated, but until then it serves as a living testament to community, inclusion, creativity, and purpose.
Chang, who describes herself on her website as “a public installation artist, designer, urban planner, and co-founder of Civic Center who likes to make cities more comfortable for people,” lives in the neighborhood. She explains:
With support from old and new friends, I turned the side of an abandoned house in my neighborhood into a giant chalkboard to invite my neighbors to share what is important to them. Before I Die transforms neglected spaces into constructive ones where we can learn the hopes and aspirations of the people around us. This process (including obtaining official approval from many entities) has been a great lesson–more on that later. If you’re in New Orleans, stop by the corner of Marigny and Burgundy (900 Marigny Street) to add your thoughts to the wall and discover what matters most to your neighbors. I believe the design of our public spaces can better reflect what’s important to us as residents and as human beings. The responses and stories from passersby while we were installing it have already hit me hard in the heart.
The project commenced in February of this year, and has received a tremendous response, the spaces for writing sometimes filling up in as little as one day. When the board fills, it is washed so people can start over.
Chang is working on a kit that will enable the project to be replicated in other communities, starting with another neighborhood in New Orleans.
There are many more excellent and fascinating photos on Chang’s website, which I urge you to visit. The site describes the project as “self-initiated with permission from the property owner, residents of the block, the neighborhood association’s blight committee, the Historic District Landmarks Commission, the Arts Council, and the City Planning Commission.” Wow.
I’m planning on stopping by and perhaps chalking up a few words of my own. Big-time props to the artist for a great concept, very well executed.
This post also appears on NRDC’s Swtichboard.
THE FRAGRANCE OF LIFE
If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal – that is your success.
Henry David Thoreau, author, poet, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, philosopher, and leading transcendentalist (1817-1862)
DAILY NECESSITIES
Pray
Meditate
Be aware/Stay awake
Bow
Practice yoga
Feel
Chant and sing
Breathe and smile
Relax/Enjoy/Laugh/Play
Create/Envision
Let Go/Forgive/Accept
Walk/Exercise/Move
Work/Serve/Contribute
Listen/Learn/Enquire
Consider/Reflect
Cultivate oneself/Enhance competencies
Cultivate contentment
Cultivate flexibility
Cultivate friendship and collaboration
Lighten up
Celebrate and appreciate
Dream
Give thanks
Evolve
Love
Share/Give/Receive
Walk softly/Live gently
Expand/Radiate/Dissolve
Simplify
Surrender/Trust
Be born anew
(from “Awakening The Buddha Within” by Lama Surya Das)
Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion. (Dalai Lama)
TREE OF LIFE
Anchored to the Earth;
amorphous branches
soar the Universe,
ever-changing with
each breeze, rain or storm.
Crack or crevice here,
flaw or wrinkle there,
remnants of wisdom
and experience
weathered each day.
Born a pea-green sprout,
quickly turning red
as the setting sun,
then released, falling
softly into the
arms of Mother Earth
to begin again.
Harmonious
metamorphosis
of the tree of life.
PHOTOGRAPHY OF JOHN KOENIG
Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever…it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything…We look at the world and see what we have learned to believe is there. We have been conditioned to expect…but as photographers, we must learn to relax our beliefs.
~Aaron Siskind, (an American abstract expressionist photographer, born December 4, 1903, New York, New York, U.S. died February 8, 1991, Providence, Rhode Island)
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