Finding yourself on a map
Every so often, I play a little game. I look at an online satellite map (an aerial view without labels) and I see if — starting from a full view of the globe — I can zoom in to locate the roof of my own home.
At each zoom-level, I find landmarks to understand where I am.
The shape of North America
The mouth of the Chesapeake Bay
The Susquehanna River and its headwaters
The serpentine shape of Raystown Lake, and Sayers Reservoir to its northeast
After the waterways lead me, it’s on to the land formations, the rooftops of larger buildings, and then to the particular pattern of streets in my town. Finally, my home.
During this exercise, without fail, I’m compelled to consider my small place within the world. The disparity between our supernatural ability to connect through the Internet, and the tiny dot which represents our physical location on Earth.
And yet… despite our smallness, we have the power to affect great change.
