Words Amatulah Z.
Digital Art Sakina K.
Shiny things are enticing. You may have seen little children go for the shining, glowing objects instead of the dull and mundane; a habit that we never actually grow out of. A new shiny diamond ring stands out in the ensemble of an engaged woman, polished gold cuffs catch your eye when you see a businessman about to make a presentation.
As a space enthusiast, I know that the one thing every space probe looks for in every celestial object we visit is water. Pretty ordinary, just a little bit of hydrogen combined with oxygen, no biggie. But, surprising as it may seem to some; it rains diamonds on Saturn and Jupiter and yet they have no water. The death of certain stars can cause an explosion of gold and platinum to fling through the universe; but, again, no water.
So, are diamonds really worth more than water?
Economists would probably start explaining this in terms of supply and demand (thus far, humans are the only beings in this solar system who use any type of currency, with Earth-abundant in water we would probably not buy water from someone at the price of diamonds unless there was absolutely no other source of water. However, someone living on Saturn or Jupiter may give all his diamonds to get that one bottle of water that you buy for a couple of cents, rupees or shillings) but, I would love to go into a philosophical metaphor instead.
There are some events in life that we take as ordinary, hoping for something shinier to come by. We watch televisions (or YouTube) looking at people living lavish lives and wish we had all that too. We are always searching for that thing that will make our lives complete, sometimes forgetting it already is. I have two hands, two legs, two eyes and everything that makes me complete, yet I know that one of the things I would love to have is a robot. I have sisters, I would love to have a brother. Honestly answer this, when you heard about Saturn and Jupiter having rainfalls of diamonds, did you or did you not want to go there?
The grass is never greener on the other side. You will always keep seeking something shinier the moment you cross over to the other side, cross again and seek again.
If you look at water droplets clinging to a wired fence, you will see diamonds. It glitters the same, but its composition is so much more unique. That smile on the face of a toddler as you rock them on your lap; that little gurgle of joy as she grasps your finger in her little fist; that playful shove by your friend as your crush passes by; those little random doodles he drew on your notebook; those silly little jokes she said to make you crack a smile – it may be the last thing you remember of them. Don’t sit waiting for diamonds when you have water all around you.
Stay shining, be bright for someone else. You may think you are just water, but you are a whole lot more.
BTW, I hope this makes you remember to close that tap properly now.
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