02/02/2026
When I was little, someone told me that the planets I could see in the sky were “just stars” or satellites. I knew no better, so I believed them. I believed them for many years because Astronomy courses were either not offered or didn’t fit with my coursework. It wasn’t until I tried an app that showed me the stars that I saw the planets. For over 40 years I never knew that what I was looking at was so incredible, because I was told it wasn’t. Now every night I look to the sky and I marvel at the stars, planets, moon and universe in a way I never understood I should.
That’s how it is with racism. That’s how it is with homophobia. That’s how it is with sexism. The truth is it was all just misinformation you were told. It wasn’t real. It wasn’t fact. It wasn’t science. It was hatred. It was fear. It was ignorance. You were spoon fed it all before you even knew what you took in. So, of course you just believed.
But when you take in new information, open yourselves up to new ideas, look through a new lens, observe with open hearts and choose to be more than just a bunch of ideas that you were fed, that’s when you get to see the planets. Trust me, it’s worth it.