A Slice of Life

I sat down wanting to consider all the factors, forces and functions happening in a one minute slice of my life.

A picture came into view in my minds eye. Looking beyond where I was sitting was a slice of time that looked like the rays of light that shine from a door slightly cracked open. In that moment of light, that slice of life – what factors were at work? What forces were in play? What functions were occurring?

Of the 1,440 minutes in my day, what was happening, from my view, in just one of them.

Starting with my body, then my position, and finally to what I could see and beyond, I looked into that small, lighted slice of time and began thinking, “What is happening in this slice of life?”

My brain began racing. Right here in my body, with just the things that can remember here’s what is happening:

• there are 79 different organs working together keeping me alive
• there are (some say) over 10,000 body parts working together
• my heart is beating 60 plus times & pumping blood into my veins and through my body
• I am breathing in Oxygen and my lungs are processing it throughout the body
• while at the same time exhaling the hazardous gasses
• my breakfast is being digested
• nutrients from breakfast are supplying my body
• wastes are being eliminated
• my kidneys are filtering that waste
• my eyes are processing millions of bits of visual data
• my ears are hearing and registering the sounds around me
• the other senses also are gathering and inputting information
• all of it is happening because of the supercomputer brain
• 2400 times faster than the best computer, my brain, is capturing billions of electrical signals and sending them out and receiving others in
• thoughts are being formed
• hair, nails, skin, red blood cells and white blood cells are growing and multiplying
• water loss and need is being tracked
• air pressure and content is monitored for the health of my body
• sores and injuries are healing
• I have spit in my mouth, moisture in sinuses and eyes as needed
• eyelashes are defending against unwanted entry
• nose hairs doing the same
• skin protecting and defending and regenerating as needed
• DNA mutations are being healed
• hormones and chemicals are balanced as needed
• there are muscles working that I can’t name
• my bones are supporting those muscles and much more

STOP. My brain hurts. I cannot keep up or write fast enough. I don’t know enough, understand enough. And still there is so much more happening in my body!!!!

This, my body, is just the first stop in my considering what happens in my one minute slice of life.

I have yet, to consider my positional surroundings nor my view beyond.

In that slice, there is still:

• the plants and their processes
• the seen animals and their workings and wonders
• the unseen animals, insects and creatures and all their complexities
• the air composition and pressure
• the effects of gravity on all we see (or what would happen without it)
• temperatures within our body and outside our body that are “perfect” for life
• effects of light and the powers of electromagnetism
• the nuclear forces at work in both strong and weak forces
• beyond our atmospheres, where do I begin?
• water cycles
• …

Again, I am simply overwhelmed by the vastness of the complexities of my world. I have forgotten much of the science but my heart explodes in wonder.

In just one slice of life, one 60 second glimpse from where I sit to beyond what I can see, I know of billions times billions of factors, forces, and functions at work. Overwhelmed is simply an understatement.

Now, if I were to take that one slice, multiply it by 60, then multiply that by 24… I now have before me a whole day to consider.

Additionally, these are static pictures. So let’s throw in people variables, and their interactions. Now add current local events and issues. Now multiply that by 19,495 because that is the number of cities in USA.

Oh yeh, what about the nations? America is not the only nation on the planet. There are 193 countries and two observer states. Oh my aching brain.

And while we’re at it, let’s not leave out the 7 main ecosystems and the interactions within each of those. How each part is playing a specific role in support of life.

Our finite brains are not able to comprehend the complexities, intricacies, and wisdom that shape each factor, force or function in our lives.

Sitting here, in my chair, viewing my little shaft of light, slice of life, I am unbelievably amazed by it all; from the squawking of the American coots outside my door, to the beating of my heart and closing of my eyelids.

My slice of life is beyond my understanding but not my appreciation.

I therefore choose to be grateful, awe struck and ever in wonder.

I also choose to trust, knowing that there is a greater, higher force and power at work, who is way beyond my figuring out.

Looking at my slice of life helped me to put things in perspective. I trust it has done the same for you.

Cheers to your slice of life.