Chapter 1: The Night Sky and Human Behavior

The peculiar behaviors of people fascinate me. I’m not referring to observing those with mental health challenges, but rather the reactions of everyday individuals to extraordinary occurrences in their lives, whether during the day or night.

Consider a situation where a family finds themselves at the grocery store on a Sunday night after 9 PM. This scenario likely arises from necessity, perhaps due to a busy work schedule in the preceding week and the one to come. They know they must stock up on essentials, be it food for their children or supplies for their household.

However, I would assume that if something out of the ordinary were to take place — like the entire night sky suddenly glowing — most people in the vicinity would instinctively look up to assess the situation, if only out of curiosity.

Yet, I can share a personal experience from a winter evening in San Diego, California, when the sky lit up dramatically. My husband and I turned our heads upwards, but curiously, no one else in the parking lot seemed to notice. Families continued their routines of unloading grocery carts and packing their cars, completely unaware of the spectacular light show happening above at 9:30 PM.

What if this had been a sign of extraterrestrial visitors? A fire approaching? Or worse, missiles launched from North Korea? Perhaps an apocalyptic event foretold by ancient prophecies?

It seems likely that the families present were simply too exhausted to engage with such thoughts. If an alien craft had indeed landed or if there was a legitimate threat, they would probably prioritize putting their groceries away first. In the case of a fire, they’d likely take their purchases with them. And if it were the end of days, well, the outcome might already be sealed, for better or worse.

Ultimately, the bright sky was the result of a satellite launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Given our apparent lack of awareness on Sunday evenings, let’s hope that any potential Martian invasions or apocalyptic events are scheduled for weekdays during office hours.

© 2024 L.E. Langner. All Rights Reserved.

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