Jeff Key : Pulse—In Pursuit Of Gravity

“Once I got into space, I was feeling very comfortable in the universe. I felt like I had a right to be anywhere in this universe, that I belonged here as much as any speck of stardust, any comet, any planet”

—Dr. Mae Jemison, American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut. (The first black woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.)

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." —African Proverb

The world still has a pulse—randomly fluctuating with the political climate. During our quarantine it beat at a slower pace only to pick up and begin racing when faced once again with the outrage of racism and police brutality.

Now grappling with social and political upheaval and our fourth month of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are floating untethered in a space most of us have never known.

This time of cognitive dissonance has forced us to reconsider priorities—how to tilt the scales of justice toward equity, how to channel anger into productive action, how to be more benevolent toward our neighbors, how to teach equality, morality, and empathy to our children, how to protect the planet, and in general how to become a more compassionate society.

As we once again begin to open doors, walk the streets, take public transportation, go to a store, or sit down at a restaurant, we are looking at life from a different perspective—one that emphasizes more than ever our interconnected sense of community.

Mental health issues have increased with uncertainty and inequity surrounding health, safety, employment, housing, and education. The consequences of injustice, rage, frustration, and grief, along with sheltering-in-place, wearing a mask, social distancing, and the need for human touch have taken a toll on everyone.