Random Rock

The rock that almost killed, now on-hold like Haitian orphans waiting for a permanent home.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_space_rock_dispute

The tenant doctor turned around to see the spot where he could have seated and said “I guess it’s not my time”.

Some decades ago, I lined up to see another important piece back from the Moon.

I remember clearly being fascinated by space science, and how people could do the impossible.

At the time, I remember how impressed I was with the US as well.

Fast forward 40 years later, we witness more progress on earth than in space.

It’s OK. The focus just happens to be downward. As in the lead story. Now it’s time for ownership dispute.

Especially around Washington DC, where there are an army of lawyers and law experts.

The difference between the Random rock and Moon rock is that the later was a part of a planned mission, thus

indisputable about who it belongs to.

But both tell us that we don’t live on a Lonely Planet.

That there are other entities who we may run into every once in a while. Like a social network invitation from a stranger.

Welcome!

We are believers in Web 2.0.

And the mash-up network effect.

Maybe, out of this seemingly randomness comes something unplanned but effectual.

They said it’s not our first-degree connections who influence us the most. It’s the 2nd or 3rd whom we haven’t met.

Take Facebook for instance. The lonely Harvard guy went online to list all the available dates on campus, now sitting on an ever expanded empire,

with apps to share video, arts, film clips and blogs.

My life has been so enriched by his sudden loneliness. Like a random rock that drops in on a weekend night on campus. It’s cold and lonely.

But who says it’s not productive or even world-changing. As long as you are not hit by it, the least it can do is to serve as a wake-up call. That’s life could be quite random, despite our best laid-out plans.