On Teaching: "The True Miracles of the Universe"

I’ve been thinking lately about architectural marvels, and how we are always astonished in the presence of majestic buildings but rarely, I fear, in the presence of majestic people. It may seem odd, at first, to describe people as being “majestic”, but to my mind there is no skyscraper or monument that can come close to equaling the magnificence that exists in a human being. You can travel around the world in search of architectural wonders, but all you have to do is observe the person next to you in line at the supermarket to see the greatest wonder of them all. Skyscrapers are amazing, but human beings are way beyond amazing. Take my students, for example. Each of them was created by this zillion-year-old universe, the same infinite universe that makes stars and storms and daffodils. Each of my students shares atoms with the entire universe (atoms that were created billions of years ago), and each is literally born again each moment as oxygen is taken in and cells are purified and renewed. Even more importantly, my students are wonders of mental magic. Each moment a thought comes to them (who knows from where), and each of these thoughts (being non-material) knows no boundaries and cannot be injured or destroyed. Each of their thoughts is like a drop in the infinite ocean of the universe, a drop which will send out ripples for ever. I could go on and on. My students, and all of us, are the true miracles of the universe. I should behold my students today the way I would behold an astonishing building -- with awe and utter disbelief.