The images popped up within one of my quirky dream vignettes. I found myself in a hyper-fast spaceship on a collision course with the Sun. The ship veered off at the last moment and ricocheted towards the planet Jupiter. Near the moment of impact, I yelled out, “Giants everywhere!” Then I was awake.
I’ve dreamed about Outer Space since boyhood. Nearly all of the Space dreams are very short because I’m almost always piloting super-futuristic ultra-fast vehicles. The Solar System’s gas giant planets usually make their cameo appearances, especially Saturn and Jupiter. Mostly it’s Saturn because of the planet’s beautiful rings.
Giant verges on being an over-used word, especially the adjective form. Products are often sold in giant containers. We take giant steps towards our goals. A person may fly in a giant airliner. As a noun, giant may exist in myths about titans and ogres. A physically large man might be a giant. An outstandingly successful person is sometimes referred to as a giant. Of course we have the gas giant planets.
Personally, I like the word “giant”. I think of giants as positive and protective. The Green Giant brand of vegetables usually gets my grocery shopping dollars. My favorite baseball team is the Giants.
Our imaginations come up with giant-size ideas and concepts to inspire us towards our finest accomplishments. Very few people are ambitious about small or mediocre goals. Ironically, the technological race of miniaturization–to build the smallest possible gadgets–is a giant dream of electronics nerds. Also, to be successful in our giant ventures, we sometimes must take tiny steps forward.
Some of nature’s most fascinating lifeforms have been giants. We think about incredibly large dinosaurs. There are giant whales. Elephants come to mind. In the plant world we have sequoias and giant redwoods. Have you ever wondered how such large animals and plants evolved from primitive microscopic-size cells?
There are those giants that cause much destruction and disasters. Typhoons and hurricanes are the most fearful storms. Severe earthquakes and the resulting giant waves, tsunamis, cause havoc on a grand scale. The citizens of the world are frightened of man-made giant weapons of mass destruction like nuclear bombs. We are rightfully wary of people with giant egos who desire to rule nations and empires.
Considering all of the variations of the word “giant”, I still feel inspired by the friendly giants. How do we all fit into the grand scheme of life? We are all capable of doing amazing things and becoming a truly great people. We can collectively think like Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
Ciao
The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes science professor, broadcaster David Suzuki. “We’re in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyone’s arguing over where they’re going to sit.”
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