Sacralize

Years ago, I remember Joe Rogan sharing a story on his show.

This was way back before he became the dude in podcasting.

I don't listen to many podcasts anymore, but back then he would just go on and on about whatever the heck with his co-host.

And this one day, he's on a roll.

Talking about how we take so much for granted.

And he set it up this way.

Which is how I think I can best define what I mean by "sacralize" aka my new favorite word.

He said, imagine living underground for your entire life. You only know caves and tunnels and passages and nothing else. Everyone lives this way.

And one day, you hear about this ultimate attraction.

It's at the end of a tunnel that leads up. Impossibly up.

And if you have enough money, you can pay to go there.

And the few people who have gone rave about it forever.

They just can't believe it's there.

So you save up, wait for your window (because it's only open during certain hours), and you go.

You pay the enormous admission fee and see for yourself.

And you climb up this ladder for seemingly forever in this narrow tunnel which leads to a little room with a hole in the ceiling.

And through the opening you can see it.

The above world.

The outside world.

The night's sky.

And more importantly, the unlimited (give or take) amount of stars in the sky.

And you sit and stare in awe.

Forever changed.

You'll spend the rest of your life underground talking about what you saw.

Most will never believe you.

And I suppose that's what I mean by sacralizing.

We don't sacralize the night's starry skies because it is just so routine for us.

But if we lived underground, and had to pay to see the stars, we would sacralize it.

Because it deserves it.

And I remember Rogan telling this story and just thinking how right he was.

How we would make it a holy pilgrimage to see the night's lights.

If it just wasn't available almost every single night of our lives.

And that's the trick of sacralization.

You make it sacred even though, and especially because, it is so routine.

Yes, it is just what happens on a clear evening.

Stars just show themselves.

But it is also something sacred.

Both can be true.

Both are true.

And so, 'tis the season to remember such things.

How beautiful things are that you see everyday.

It doesn't make them less important, I argue it does the exact opposite.

The beautiful and important things you see everyday are more beautiful and more important because you see them everyday.

Not less.

I've learned the best things in life are free.

But you have to earn them to keep them.

Understand?

So next time, maybe every time from here on out, you look up and see a million stars, you experience it as if you had to spend your life's savings earned living underground to see it.

And the realization that hey, hey, this is just given to me.

And do that, do that same thing, when you look down, and from side to side while you're at it.

And I think, I think, that's the secret recipe to all of this.