the cosmonaut diaries

Ah, dear listeners, you've arrived! Right on time and suited up for our galactic travel into the cosmic realm. Today's episode is one of personal reflection and realization. Dear listeners, I have a bit of a story to tell. One that probably should stay hidden in the shadows, but one that I will share nonetheless.

Many moons ago, like a lot of moons, there was a cosmonaut named Tunepilot who was a bit of a wandering soul, trapped in an aimless pod that didn't have the best luck dodging comets and debris during skyward ascensions. While the intended pathway imagined was pure and innocent, the pod's trajectory was without purpose as its destination was unrealized. Dear listeners, the sync between the pilot and vessel were in need of extensive calibration. Moreover, the journey required a co-pilot, one with an empathic soul to map a voyage to the zenith of an awakening.

Well, as the pod drifted aimlessly towards distant destinations very, very far away, Tunepilot found his Astronautin! This Astronautin greatly altered the arc of Tunepilot's ascent and took controls of the vessel, steering into a veil of growth, comfort, solace, and elation. With such a co-pilot, long term success seems only imminent. However, after many, many moons passed, it was evident that Tunepilot wasn't actively pursing opportunities to excel towards a zenith of ascension. Rather, he chose to be an innocent daydreaming bystander, and as he waded in the serene shores of self-assurance, he was discounting the importance of driving the mission skyward and developing as an equally contributing cosmic partner. As such, the integrity of the team was being compromised. So, Tunepilot made the decision to sacrifice himself to allow his co-pilot to sail further along an enlightened pathway to the stars. The chute was pulled and Tunepilot was left floating in the cosmic debris. The Astronautin did shine on missions as expected, and Tunepilot once again became a wanderer without purpose, floating aimlessly in the static.

After 30 revolutions around the sun, Tunepilot sent a subtle transmission to the former co-pilot, one that echoed an apologetic tone of past mission failures. It goes without saying that it is quite challenging to take ownership and explain to shipmates the reasons for abandoning co-op missions. Pride and guilt construct the wall that is difficult to soar through as time and circumstance shrink our opportunities to reap good karma and smooth the turbulent waves of our past journe