In the colourful land of India, this is a week of festivals. From where I come from, we celebrate today as Saraswathi Pooja. Goddess Saraswathi is the goddess of learning.
It is a time to remind myself that I’m just one of 6,000,000,000, on a planet that is one of 9, in a solar system that is one of 200,000,000,000, in a galaxy that is one in 125,000,000,000. That in the grand scheme of things, I matter less than a single bit of my hard-drive. That while I argue and debate to establish my intellectual superiority over others, I forget that I stand on the shoulders of giants who had the humility to let me. That while I scorn others, I forget that I matter less than a single bit of my hard-drive.
It reminds me that I’m just a speck in the journey called time. That two generations hence nobody would ever know who I was. That in a few decades I’ll probably be a senile old man who keeps forgetting how to use templates in C++. That there is a time to draw ASCII-art in .nfo files, and there is a time to smile gently when the young firebrand challenges your design. That I’ll never reclaim the days and nights I burn away in front of a monitor.
May this festival bring humility and tolerance, remind us to appreciate and acknowledge, and help us remember that while we reach for the stars our feet must still remain on the ground.
The Tired Architect 
John Emmanuel said,
Oct 26, 2007 at 9:52 am
That was a good reminder.
Thanks
NR said,
Nov 6, 2007 at 3:56 pm
“While we reach for the stars our feet must still remain on the ground.!”
This is very nice …
Zimri said,
Nov 11, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Well written article.
himadri said,
Mar 2, 2009 at 11:48 pm
great .