@HomewithDean - Homily 8/1 - a podcast by KFI AM 640 (KFI-AM)

I think I’m going to get a t-shirt made that says, “Life … a few moments on the skin of an apple.”

Where did that come from? Well, sitting out on the deck this morning staring up at the sky breathing in the cool morning air I started thinking about this thin little layer of gas that I live my entire life in. The same thin little layer that all of human history has taken place in.

I’ve said it many times before, the reason that I love nature—other than its’ shear awesome beauty—is that the more time I spend in it and the longer I think upon it the more it gives me perspective.

Take this thin little layer of gas we’re sitting in right now. The most oxygen you can find on planet earth is right at sea level. From there you can go up, but only a little less than a mile, before your body has to start adapting to uncomfortable changes in the air. People can start experiencing altitude sickness at around 5000 feet. Others can go higher but no human being can live for extended times at more than about 3½ miles up. That’s about 18,000 feet which is right around the elevation of basecamp for climbing Mt. Everest.

Ok, so what about going down into the sea? First of all, we can’t breathe in water and most of us can only hold our breath for 1-2 minutes so … there’s that. If you do decide to take a deep breath and swim down a bit you’ll quickly discover that at just 32 feet below the surface the pressure on your body is twice that of sea level and your lungs are half their normal size.

So, forget about comparing our tiny planet to the vast unfathomable expanse of the universe. Right here on planet earth our lives—yours and mine—as well as everyone who has ever lived and every event—great and small—in all of human history has taken place in this thin little mile.

And if you do the numbers and compare the thickness of our atmosphere to the size of the Earth itself then you realize our little zone of existence is about 20 times thinner than the skin on an apple.

And so, perspective.

“Life … a few moments on the skin of an apple.”

And then add to that realization the principles for making any project go smoothly—don’t rush, take your time, think it through, plan ahead, learn as much as you can, get help, collaborate, design something truly meaningful, expect the unexpected, enjoy the ride—it all sounds like awfully good advice for a life that amounts to just a few moments on the skin of an apple.

I want your project to go great. I want your life to go even better. Which is why every week I try to say something that I hope provides just a little perspective. Life is short my friend. And in that short life we don’t get very far.

In my opinion, it’s too short to go through it with your eyes closed. Too short to be caught up in your petty stories. Too short to be proud. Too short to be alone. Too short not to forgive. Too short to be unkind. Too short not to say what needs to be said. Too short not to laugh and smile as much as possible.

So keep your eyes open and your heart open and your arms open and don’t get distracted, because when you’re like us and you only have a few moments on the skin of an apple all you really have time and space to do is to try to build yourself a beautiful life.

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