A Point of Light

It was a cool evening in Olympia.  Most evenings are cool in the Northwest, but I remember this night, in particular, due to the overpowering smell of wood smoke from neighboring fireplaces.  This night had the right temperature, moisture, and pressure to hold the smoke fairly low.  I could almost hear the "poor air quality" alerts on the local news.

I initially went outside to move my car under the carport, having parked it at the side of the house.  Even with the annoyingly bright streetlight at the foot of the drive, and the lights from downtown Olympia reflecting across Capitol Lake and into the evening sky, my attention was still drawn upward to the bright carpet of sparkling stars.  I was in awe and wonder at how gorgeous the sky was.

The house is located on the bluff overlooking the lake, so the taller trees were pretty much all down in the ravine and on the hillside below us around the lake.  This allowed an almost unobstructed view of the eastern sky from north to south.  I say "almost" because of one, extremely tall, old-growth, Douglas fir tree sitting between our house and the neighbor's, right on the bluff.  It towered in the neighborhood of two-hundred to three-hundred feet, like a spear of nature.  The branches toward the top were certain "widow-makers" to anyone standing below when they broke them off

Our panoramic strip of sky usually provides evening views of passenger jets landing and taking off from SeaTac International, about an hour up the road.  Aircraft are easy to pick out in the distance if you know what to look for, even though the light doesn't seem to move, you can pick out the colored lights blinking on and off, or see the bright landing lights get even brighter as it gets closer.  Of course, the closer the aircraft gets the easier it is to see it begin to move through the sky, and they tend to follow standard flight paths.

This particular evening I saw a bright star, a bit higher than a usual flight path, and watched it for a bit to see if it was an aircraft, star, or a planet.  Nothing was blinking on it and it seemed, considering the extreme distance, it appeared to be visibly moving a lot faster than a jet would have been given the altitude.  It had to be a satellite.  Being in military intelligence I had the inside track on satellite overflights at night which allowed numerous opportunities to go outside at night when they overflew the airbases where I was stationed.  Satellites were fairly easy to spot and, again, follow their designated orbits.

I watched this one for a while as it traversed from the southern sky to point above me, almost even with my position, before it disappeared behind the tall, old growth fir.  I estimated how long it would take it to re-appear and shifted my gaze to pick it up when it emerged on the other side of the trunk.  I waited for a second... two... well, where was it?  I leaned left, then right, like that was really going to help me look around the tree.  Sometimes we do silly things.  The light finally emerged higher than the original track would have brought it, it was moving significantly slower, and it was also diminishing in brightness.  It continued to slow and diminish in brightness until it disappeared from sight only several feet from where it had reappeared from behind the tree.

If this was a satellite, it was rapidly leaving orbit and heading out into space.  The cat was rubbing up against my leg.  I looked down, as the cat sat and looked up at me as if to ask, "Whatchya lookin' at Boss?  You do know it's cold out here, right?  How about some kibble?"

I smiled and looked back up to the spot in the sky.  I watched for another moment, making sure that my eyes had not deceived me before I picked up the tabby and went back inside.  The cat sprawled in front of the fire as I poured myself a bourbon rocks.  I settled down on the couch to enjoy the fire with the cat who rolled over and stretched.

There are things we see at times that seemingly defy explanations which I have learned not to go looking for.  You will usually be told what you saw was something you know it wasn't or, as in my intelligence field, that the object can be neither confirmed nor denied, nor can it be confirmed that I actually saw something once bourbon is involved.  Their evidence changes faster than the explanations and disappears as fast as the bourbon.  You will rarely be satisfied with the answer if you ever received one.  After 22 years in with military intelligence, I knew better than to expect one, so I let it go.

I'm the master sergeant who took calls from people who dialed the wrong number, wanting to report aliens that were watching them through their bathroom mirror.  I'm the guy that told them to take shaving cream and ensure every inch of the mirror was covered, then get tin foil and make a hat from it, because, if they were watching, you could bet your bottom dollar they were also reading your mind.  I'm the guy that, while the caller was busy with the shave cream, transferred their call to the OSI, the Office of Special Investigations.  I was not the guy the callers wanted or needed.  I was the wrong number.  I was their worst nightmare, the guy who messes with people's heads, the guy who figured the OSI would probably want to share in the humor of the moment.  I was party to the policy of "plausible deniability" for way too long, so when it comes to what I see, no one can tell me what they think I saw.  Not even the voices in my head have the right to do that.

Are we alone in this universe?  Are there inter-dimensional beings traveling between realities?  Are they, perhaps, from our own future?  Mainstream science would say no, there isn't any proof.  Theoretical science would say, we don't have the science right now to form an opinion on the theoretical probability.  This covers their ass in the event of a possible breakthrough, or finding of the aforementioned, non-existent evidence which would otherwise make them look like buffoons.

For science, if it can't be proven by scientific method, then what you see is only in your mind, your imagination.  If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?  Does point nine times infinity equal one?  Does God exist?  Unusual incidents, like the one I witnessed in the night sky, can change a person's view of their place in the universe if they can open their mind and allow themselves to dream.

I dream a lot, and I still think about that point of light.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.