Spaceman Spiff!

 loved the X-Files! In the early 90's or as Dean Koontz said back then "on the cusp of the millennium." Cindy and I would be glued to the exploits of Mulder & Skully. By the way speaking of "Millennium" that was a very underrated show itself. 

I'm a boomer. I'm one of those born in the late 50's who missed Vietnam by a hair. Not quite old enough to be an actual hippy but close enough to understand the life style. At least a little. I started school in the day when America was rushing to get to the moon before the dreaded Soviets. We were taught that Israel might have been the chosen people but America was the Apple of God's eye. 

Into that atmosphere I dove into Batman & Superman comics. But I also had another passion. Space! Jules Bergman was an American journalist. When NASA launched The Mercury Spacecraft I would sit spellbound as he used a toy or model rocket and would detach different parts to show the way the rocket would launch, orbit & return to earth. In serious, wonderful black and white I watched raptly. 

Added to this I would get a library card and be amazed at the science fiction section. Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Ben Bova. Covers depicting rockets and planets and meteors. I wouldn't read the books much Because I was young and Asimov despite the covers bored me. But I would get comic books and watch all the science fiction movies that "Dialing for Dollar's" on channel 6 or 13 out of Birmingham would show. 

I remember when the U.S.A. won the race to the moon. It was just a matter of time before we would have moon bases and flying cars like the Jetson's cartoons. 

Somewhere in all that as I got older the paranormal merged with UFO lore. The spacemen became  interdimensional. A movie based on a book called Chariots of the God's came out. What if our ancient myths and legends were actually brought here from somewhere else? 

Then I discovered an actual serious researcher named Jaques Vallee. Stephen Spielberg would base the French scientist in Close Encounters on him. In the late 60's and early 70's Vallee had written "Passport to Magonia." it was an extensive study of flying craft, The Fae (Faerie folk of Europe) and African, Egyptian and Native American stories. He made and still makes the argument that the presence has always been with us. Appearing as fire and Angels or The Fae to spaceships in our modern times. 

In the 80's an American author that my little bookworm self was familiar with from a horror novel called The Wolfen wrote a book called "Communion." Whitley Strieber like so many before & since was attacked and called crazy. Just a failed horror writer trying to make it big.

The problem was Hollywood had already turned two of his novels "The Wolfen and The Hunger" Into popular movies so "failed" was not a term to use regarding him. 

Anyway this was right in my sweet spot. The boring Star Trek soulless universe was giving way to endless possibilities of unending space, life, consciousness and discovery. It wasn't the Klingon (Space Russian) or the ever so logical Vulcans that would make first contact.

It would be our forbearers. Spiritually wise and eternal. That had guided us not simply from a more technological earth from outer space but also from infinite inner space.

So now I am older. I have my own experience with spiritual and practical matters. I have an inner life and it is at times a dialog with The Divine and sometimes a crazy mess. I don't subscribe to ancient aliens or the sterile little blue ball with no meaning either. I've become or am becoming someone that has no label. 

I don't do much social media. A few Facebook memes and jokes and a few people I love and respect I keep in touch with on messenger. As a respectful older dude I stay off Tic Tock, Discord and most any other sites. I do however use Twitter. 

Back in the day I got the nickname "Tweet." I was young and I guess I reminded someone of Tweetybird from the cartoon. So when Twitter started up I had no choice. I had to grab Tweetybird as my profile pic and open an account under the handle TweetSnead.  So even if nobody else on Twitter gets it I have my own little inside joke. The revenge of the little guy. Call me a funny name & I turn it into an inside joke.

But, I discovered something on Twitter. A whole subculture of UFO nuts like me. So I post occasionally and read regularly at #ufotwitter. Most of us have a great time nerding out. But alas there are those true believers and true stick up their butt skeptics that fight and argue all day. 

Now honestly and not just because I love the possibilities. The so called skeptics are the worse. Calling names and demanding an accounting for why every light in the sky isn't swamp gas and the planet Venus. I've gotten to the point where the minute I hear a "skeptic" attack a person's character instead of honestly discussing I just skip over it.

I'm not a true believer in anything. I know what I've personally experienced and I meditate and ponder those things. Because all we know at any given time is our own inner life. 

But I love to think "what if?" when I look at the stars, moon and planets. I love to close my eyes and let go of trying to figure it out and just explore inner space. 

I figure at my age another 20 years or more if I'm blessed to see it and I won't care if a Democrat or a Republican is president. I have enough life experience to know the baton is passing no matter how much I want to keep running the same race.

But, when that day comes "What If?" So I'll keep watching the skies and inner space. I believe Paul said something like I wait all my life until my change comes!

I don't do religious dogma. I'm still religious in my own way. I just don't think I or anybody else has all the answers and one size doesn't fit all.

I've always been a book nerd. But as I've aged my attention span has shortened and my eye has floaters and I don't see well unless my nose is right in the print. So podcasts, YouTube Audible & ebooks are how I follow my interests. My Kindle can be adjusted for light and font and switched to dark mode. So I have quite the collection of UFO ebooks these days. I even read them from time to time. Once a book hoarder always a book hoarder. But at least ebooks don't take up much space.

Space. Oh yeah. This is where I came in.

Peace!