I wrote this in 2019 a day before new year’s eve. I think I had just listened to Carl Sagan talk about the “Pale Blue Dot” on YouTube (please take a listen, you won’t regret it) and was so inspired. That and the monumental feeling of being on the horizon of a new decade, must’ve spurred me to write this. It’s been more than 6 years since and it still resonates with me. I found it in my drafts and decided to publish it. It has been lightly edited for grammar etc. Enjoy!

Hey, listen, do you know how insignificant you are?

Well, that’s a pretty bad way to start a conversation.

Compared to the age of the Earth, the entire duration of Human life is just a blink. Legit, a blink! We just showed up, and we’re acting like we run the place. If every one of us died right now, guess how many creatures would give a shit? None, Zero, Nada. On a universal scale, you don’t matter for shit. Welp. Would you like to know what that means? It means you should calm the f down. Thanks.

So where do I matter abeg?

On a personal scale.

You contribute immensely to common Human history. Think of all of mankind’s experiences, from the building of the Pyramids, to the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to the Beatles’ American tour, to Selma, to the Moon landing, to the Nigerian civil war, to the K-pop mania of 2022. Your own memories, your own experiences, are also included in those same annals of human consciousness. You contribute to our entire shared history as a species. If randomly sorted, your file could appear right beside Shaka Zulu or beside Mao Zedong. Everyone you have ever met or will ever meet has contributed to your reality, and you to theirs. It’s mind-bursting. About 94% of every human that has ever lived (108 billion people) are DEAD lol. You are part of the 6% still going, ordained to carry on this story, congratulations!

Your very existence is by chance; improbable, really. Out of the 100 million sperm cells that could have been born, you were conceived, meaning those 99,999,999 other possible individuals with their own timelines and children could have existed in your place, that is 99.9 million unique realities whose position you now hold. Mad. That means every person you meet is a breakout star like you :), they too had a slim chance of being alive.

Wait o, so every one of those 108 billion humans who have existed could have been 100 million different people, damn.

There are an almost infinite number of possible lives that could have existed, and somehow, by some cosmic intersection of events, you are one of the few that happened.

So what do I do with all this information?

Be Kind.

When you see another person, recognize that they also are the result of a celestial roll of the dice. They also shouldn’t even be here, but they are. So treat them with respect and dignity, because mehn, e no easy.