The Luck of the Draw

I watched an amazing documentary last night, exploring why the dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago. An asteroid 9 miles wide hit shallow water near the Yucatan Peninsula and the shock waves were the equivalent of ten billion Hiroshimas. What sealed the deal was that the impact site was rich in gypsum, and the gypsum dust covered the earth and triggered a mass extinction because no sunlight could penetrate the dust cloud. No sunlight, no photosynthesis, no food. Because the dinosaurs went extinct, mammals were able to thrive and here I am today, writing this blog. The scientist said that had the impact happened a few minutes later, the earth would have spun and the asteroid could have crashed into deep water with a very different outcome. It made me think about the effects of chance on life itself, and how miraculous it is that we humans got the chance to evolve. If you stand back and think about it, it makes today quite precious. Let’s make the most of it by being kind to ourselves, each other, the animals and the planet. Because it seems we are quite lucky to Be Here Now at all.