Human Smallness and Ancient Petrified Forests

If the southwest has taught me anything, it is this: We humans are pretty much no big deal.

Need proof?

The Petrified Forest National Park in New Mexico was once home to a magnificent forest...225 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Back then, dinosaurs roamed this equatorial wonderland (Yes, equatorial... continental drift brought the tropics to New Mexico.) Today, this magnificent forest is a wasteland of stone trees stumps, colorful crystals, and multicolored sand.

It harkens a rendition of “Dust in the Wind” with human smallness the chorus. Funny though, we seem to think we are the mightiest and most important creatures in the universe, running around taking responsibility for climate change. Maybe the earth has just decided it’s time for another mass extinction. She must want the dinosaurs back...not that I am saying I think global warming is a myth. Rather, our egocentric importance seems laughable amidst the power of time.

Just to rub it in, a giant meteor crater plowed into the earth near the Petrified Forest some 49,000 years ago. Back in March, an asteroid nearly plummeted into the earth--coming within 50,000 miles from earth, a cosmic near-miss.

So here I am amongst our smallness...and you know what? I feel pretty darned relieved.