We need them. The human experience yearns for them. Life craves them. That which exists bigger than ourselves. That which extends beyond our fingertips and stretches past our own encapsulated existence. Past self-fixation tied to our problems, our inadequacies, our broken dreams.

Sunsets. What does man have to do with them? They simply are. They exist apart from human endeavor, as regular as heartbeat, showcasing themselves every evening. Predictable and dependable, they do as they wish, irregardless of us. In spite of us. Apart from us.

As if someone said, “I will give them a show. It will change daily and be colorful and spontaneous. It will be for their pleasure, their enjoyment, to help fulfill their desire for beauty, to remind them — daily — that this world has been, is and will always be. It will not be told to them. It will be shown to them, such that they will see it, experience it, feel it. They will not see a picture, nor a representation, but rather the actual thing itself, that they may know reality, authenticity, truth. It will be continually creative, such that it is alive. Any particular occurence will be nonrepeatable and nonduplicated. I want its audience to embrace the uniqueness of that particular moment and savor it for what it is, to realize their smallness in light of such bigness. And to find comfort in that.”

Oceans. What does man have to do with them? They simply are. Their vastness declares continuity, largeness and perpetuity. They speak to us, sometimes in whispers, sometimes shouts and sometimes roars.

As if someone said, “I will cast a liquid upon the land and put it into motion. It will never cease. Never. It will have a mind of its own and will rebel when schemes to control it are devised. It must be respected, or it will show its fury and demonstrate its power. And it will be real. Tasted, touched, felt, heard, experienced. Its motion will be perpetual, reminding its observers that some things go on and on and on, regardless. It will be one of those rare occurrences that can utterly, undeniably be depended on. It will fulfill a need in its audience, to realize their smallness in light of such bigness. And to find comfort in that.”

And so it is. These grand, majestic, unending occurrences, exposed to our senses, inviting us, if you will, to the Grand Ball. Shall we dance?