Human

For me the word “human” evokes a myriad of mental images ranging from the car window stick people appliqués to da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. From cave drawings to VR programs we have sought to represent our being through artistic representation. A picture may indeed be worth a thousand words, but any attempt to define what it means to BE human would fall woefully short with a thousand pictures. The physical representation we call our body is but a very small part of what it means to be human. It is merely the sensory endowed vessel encasing our electrochemical system of neurons and synapses used to explore and comprehend our physical domain. We are, of course, far more than the sum of our parts. To be human is the embodiment of a desire to contribute to the awe inspiring canvas that is our shared universe. We know little but imagine much. It is there, in our imaginings, in our dreams that you will find what it means to be human. Though our psyche is at times frail it is also capable of wonder and enlightenment beyond what is commonly thought possible. It is what keeps us moving forward with hope when all around us is despair. We are a species capable of terrible cruelty but also unlimited kindness and charity. We are a microcosm of all that sentiency conceives. We are a combination of star dust, energy with a uniquely individual perspective on everything including what it means to be human.