Back from the beyond

Post – February 2, 2003

“You’re an interesting species – an interesting mix. You’re capable of such beautiful dreams – and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost – so cut off – so alone. Only you’re not. See, in all our searching, the only thing that we’ve found that makes the emptiness bearable…is each other.”

-Ted Arroway (David Morse), “Contact”

When “Contact” came out, I was fond of asking my friends who had seen it whether they would be willing to step into that contraption that sent Ellie Arroway to…well, wherever she went to. The question was, would you be willing to sit in that chair, having no idea what would happen? You could die, you could travel to some other galaxy – no one knew.

For me, the answer was simple: I would get into the chair. The risks would be worth it.

Who’s with me?

12 Comments

  1. julie

    Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

  2. Rob

    I would have to say yes, too. But only if I was familiar with the development of the chair that Ellie did.

  3. Robert J. Muldoon

    I’m too passive. If someone else wants to do it, they can go ahead. I may not have all the answers, but I have enough to suit me.

  4. Matt

    Without any doubt whatsoever.
    ____________
    I go now.

  5. John Kusch

    I’d get in, but only if David Morse were waiting on the other end.

  6. Nik

    I agree with John!

  7. Sherri

    Na, I’d go, with or without Morse. I suspect that’s really how we do anything worthwhile. I”m certain it’s how we fo a lot more things that are NOT worthwhile, too.

  8. Sherri

    *sigh* do, not fo. and an apostrophe, not a quote mark. Keyboard gremlins, ya know…

  9. Sparky

    “It’s better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven’t done.”
    — Gibby Haynes

  10. glen

    What is life but a series of new experiences? What could be more exciting than exploring the unknown? What could be more worthwhile than the chance to find something…beautiful…and wholly unknown?

    all of this and more.

    yes. unquestionably yes.

  11. Lisa

    No. Not because I don’t think that doing so would not be important, or awe-inspiring, or even neccessary. It would be all those things. But given the responsibilities and ties I have to this world, I don’t think I could risk leaving it forever, even for such a noble and wonderous cause.

  12. Amanda

    Give me the chair! (No wait, that didn’t come out right.)

    Yes, I’d go for the chair too. I like to think that I lead a “chair-ish” life – one semi-blind leap after another. (As Sparky so aptly pointed out…you can only regret the things you did not do.)

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