Like Stars Fallen To Earth

Like stars fallen to earth, the dazzling lights on the desert floor were visible for miles. Most impressively, they were burning brilliantly in broad daylight. It’s always memorable to see something so unique you have no frame of reference: What the heck is that? Flying from Boston to Los Angeles, I was looking out the window at the southwestern desert 38,000 feet below. In the distance, Las Vegas sprawled out on the desert plain and was ringed by jagged, bare rock mountains. In the foreground, were the mysterious star-like lights on the desert floor. There were three of the brilliant lights and it was not a stretch to think they were UFOs. But, my best guess was the lights were actually a solar furnace: Thousands of mirrors arrayed to focus sunlight on a central point to generate power. And those central focal points of sunlight, which of course is starlight, looked like stars. I was again glad I had a window seat.

Hours later, I walked down Hollywood Boulevard for the first time. The Walk of Fame was more kitschy then I ever imagined. I’m sure I’m not the first person to recognize the irony of stars being on the ground and not where you’d look up at them. There were names I recognized and names I didn’t. And then I noticed a star for Carole Lombard. The named seemed familiar.

At the hotel that evening, I web searched Carole Lombard. She was married to William Powell before getting divorced and marrying Clark Gable. And in January 1942, she died when her plane crashed into a mountain outside of Las Vegas while returning from a war bond rally. One of the very same mountains I was looking down on earlier in the day, when I saw the brilliant lights burning in the desert.

Like stars fallen to earth.

Copyright 2019 Christopher Donahue

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