Summertime here on earth

Editorial

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield announced his retirement from the Canadian Space Agency earlier this week. He had only just returned to earth after his third mission in space. And, this time, it felt like we had all taken the trip with him.

Hadfield became a celebrity on his latest mission, spending five months on the International Space Station, conducting research and entertaining people around the world with fun-filled educational videos, poetic tweets, awe-inspiring photographs – and a music video with Ed Robertson (the Barenaked Ladies) that has the power to make even the most cynical person proud to be a part of humanity. While the news generally focuses on all the bad we do, we are truly capable of amazing things.

The CBC-produced song and video, “Is Somebody Singing,” can be found online. The chorus is “So sing your song, I’m listening out where stars are glistening / I can hear your voices bouncing off the moon / If you could see our nation from the International Space Station / You’d know why I want to get back soon (get back soon).” Other lyrics include, “What once was fueled by fear / Now has 15 nations orbiting together here.”

The world may seem like it’s falling apart – and perhaps it is – but it’s not an inevitability. We cannot concede to pessimism. If nothing else, Hadfield has shown Canadians of all ages the value of an inquiring and curious mind and of a scientific and intellectual hunger. He has shared his love of learning and inspired us to reconsider our definition of impossible, to re-imagine the infinite, to re-think the very notion of what it means to be human.

Discovery can take many forms, as can connecting with other people. You don’t even have to leave your house (or your spaceship, for that matter), but it helps. Too often the minutiae of our lives bogs us down, and our own personal issues hold us back. But there is this incredibly fascinating world out there to explore, and there are some very cool people worth meeting.

As evidenced by this year’s packed Summer Celebration calendar, there is no shortage of adventures on which to embark, both locally and a little further afield – on your own, with friends, with kids in tow. A quiet day spent at home can be equally as edifying and regenerative, of course; a good book or movie introducing you to new ideas and cultures, puttering about the garden reconnecting you with nature, tea with friends offering comfort and companionship, or just relaxing and taking a moment for yourself from an otherwise busy and stressful schedule.

Inspiration and joy can come from the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times. We don’t have to leave earth to experience space.

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