“The great revelation perhaps never did come. Instead, there were little daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark; here was one.”
Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse
Sometimes the small things are greater than the bigger things. That may seem very confusing, and to be honest, it does. But what Woolf might be saying here, is though we may not reve is that, life-changing discoveries, the tiny, bright miracles are enough to liven up our days. Oftentimes, people expect too much, like my mother with my math test results, but Woolf suggests that the real meaning of life comes from the small, everyday joys and quirks. And not to mention the amount of math questions I got right may be small, but it’s enough to know I need to work harder.
Many people wait for a life-defining moment, or a “life-changing” incident in their boring lives that they will talk about every single time it comes up remotely in a conversation (I do not want to hear about your great fall off your bicycle, Susan). But they aren’t entirely wrong, despite my greatest efforts to believe they are. Furthermore, a “big” moment can most definitely change your life, but under a microscope, how big is it really? Compared to Superman’s shipment to Earth, to Harry Potter’s invitation to Hogwarts, to Katniss Everdeen’s courageous volunteer for her sister. Trick question: it is equally important.
Yes, a measly fall off a bicycle you couldn’t even ride is as important as sending yourself onto a suicide mission for one loved one. Although it may be a bit exaggerated. But let’s examine the fall. The red scrape on your knee, which you believed crippled you, happened to everyone owning a bike. Everyone has gone through this ever since bicycles were invented; that is the basis of learning how to ride that darn thing. Small joys — such as a pep in speech or comfort from your ailing parents — contribute to universal experiences that also feel personal.
Although this isn’t life-changing, it sure is stark in contrast compared to the big discoveries made by tech-billionaires or the scientists behind the actual curtain. But the big idea of a huge discovery easily makes us overlook the small miracles. Society teaches us to chase big achievements and material items, and we take small pleasures like cracking a joke, or studying a bee that is infinitely more important than your geography teacher’s lecture, or even Susan retelling that same story for the umpteenth time. Just pause and process what Susan is saying, you can relate to it too, that bee can help make the honey you’re buying from the supermarket, and that joke can be a sentiment when you’re all at their funeral.
Some people dedicate their whole lives waiting for a discovery, revelation, or happiness when it is quite literally right there. The disappointment of not getting what you want comes from expecting one huge change. But disappointment can coexist with appreciation. The disappointment of scraping your knees on the concrete is tiring, but appreciating the fact that you know how to ride a bike at that age is equally amazing as discovering Mars.
