Glow in the Dark Stars

With life and all its perplexities, we are always on a search for knowledge, a search for the truth. We are always looking to explain the how and the why of something. We want an explanation, rather than being left in the dark. I agree that the pursuit of the truth is one of the most noble quests in life. To find purpose and meaning is very valiant, and to question one's existence is a sign of intelligence and profound thinking. But as I lay here in the dark under the soft green glow of my stick on glow in the dark stars, I realize that I don't want to know everything. We aren't meant to know everything.

Ever since I can remember, I have had glow in the dark stars on my walls and ceiling. They give me a sense of security and comfort. They allow me to see into the vast universe without leaving the soft comfort of my bed. In all the years I have had them, I have never understood how they work. All day they are almost invisible as they sit on the ceiling, but as soon as night falls and the lights turn out, they are luminous with their brilliant green glow.

For years, I have wondered how this phenomenon occurs. Now that I am older, I know that I could easily Google my question and find a simple answer that would resolve my glowing debate. But now that I have the option, I realize that I don't want to know how they work. I would rather lie under them at night in amazement, not knowing why my stars glow.

Thinking back, I can remember the utter disappointment I felt when I found out that Santa Claus was not real. I was hurt that I had been fooled into thinking that real magic did exist, and there really was someone who was more concerned about the happiness of children than making a pile of money. I eventually lost my bitter resentment towards the world for making me believe in a fictional character, but I will never get back the innocence I lost that day. Now as a young adult, I know I would feel just as robbed if I discovered the science behind how my stars worked as the day I found out my childhood symbol of merriment and joy did not exist.

So maybe we should all take a lesson from the glow in the dark stars. Do we really have to grow up? Maybe we do, but is it really necessary to take away all of the happiness that can be found in beauty of childish ignorance? I believe that there are some questions in life that are best left unanswered. Some things are supposed to be left to our imagination, for if we knew everything, then all creativity would cease to exist. Imagination is creating in our minds something that has never been done before, creating something that would otherwise be seen as impossible. Imagination leads to creativity, and creativity leads to inspiration, and inspiration leads to ideas, and ideas lead to change, and finally, change leads to a better world and a better tomorrow.