Another First Chance

by Robbie Couch

‘The catastrophic thought pestering you was born from a series of electrical reactions contained in a three-pound sponge of flesh floating between your ears,’ ”

‘That three-pound sponge of flesh floating between your ears lives in your one, singular body.’ ” “ ‘And your one, singular body,’ ” I chime in, “ ‘is just one tiny dot, surrounded by billions of other tiny dots, all clinging to a pebble spinning through space.’ ”

‘That spinning pebble is circling a bigger, fiery speck,’ ” I say, continuing Dr. Skelemont’s monologue, “ ‘that’s clustered together with billions of other bigger, fiery specks. And that cluster of bigger, fiery specks is just one of billions of clusters of bigger, fiery specks suspended throughout infinity.’ ”

‘So when that catastrophic thought tries to convince your three-pound sponge of flesh that the fate of the universe rests on your shoulders,’ ” River says, “ ‘remember that you’re just that one tiny dot clinging to that one spinning pebble.’ ” “ ‘And marvel at the fact that, of all the pebbles spinning around all the fiery specks,’ ” I say, “ ‘you get to share this pebble with these dots at this exact moment within infinity.’ ”