On the return leg of a road trip to Montana—we stopped at Craters of the Moon National Monument in the Snake River Plain in central Idaho. To see it, you’d think you’d just stepped off a spaceship onto another planet. Here’s a photo of the terrain:
According to the brochures we received at the visitor’s center:
“Craters of the Moon is a vast ocean of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush—a volcanic wonderland that is fun to explore. In 1969 NASA astronauts Alan Shepherd, Edgar Mitchell, Eugene Cernan, and Joe Engle explore the monument while training to visit the moon.”
It made me think about life on other planets; lifeforms we refer to as “Martians” or “Aliens.” If they visited us, they’d probably feel extremely out of place. On the flip side of that coin, we’d probably feel extremely out of place on their planets too.
When was the last time you felt out of place?
Tuesdays with Laurie 
wonderful photoshop, love it!
1EarthUnited — I’m glad you enjoyed the photo. We had fun taking it 🙂
Hi Laurie
I seem to have this constant internal battle, between feeling out of place and accepting what is.
Perhaps a dozen times today it has broken through to consciousness.
I so want there to be peace.
I want a world where people experience being healthy most of the time.
I really want the tools to deliver freedom.
It is really weird at present. I get the feeling that most people are kind of attached to things being the way they are. I sometimes feel I got born a bit too early, and I know that is nonsense, and sometimes it feels that way.
Ted — I know how you feel. Only with me, I think I was born too late (nonsense also), but I’m pretty darned sure I would have made a fantastic pioneer woman (think Annie Oakley) 🙂
Ted, I feel the same many times. It is a strange world we live in these days and I often feel out of place.
Love the look of the place. I’ll have to think about your question though…
Olga — It was extremely “moon like” — I expected to see martians peeking from behind volcanic boulder formations any given minute 🙂
At a Wellesley College class of 1969 reunion at the White House!
Pclinda — Holy Toledo! Color me IMPRESSED 🙂
We towed our camper to Arco this summer. We wanted to camp at Craters, but they were rebuilding the campground. It’s a wonderful place.
ColdHandBoyack — I remember reading on your blog about it; I think you took Otto along too 🙂
We did, and stopped off at Atomic City just for laughs. Got some good pictures of buildings from a different era.
Wow! What a cool place. It must have been fascinating to see.
I’m kind of shy, so I often feel out of place. 🙂
Merril — I can relate. Most people think I’m outgoing. Truth is, I’m an introvert who functions as an extrovert 🙂
The two of you look so cute as moon creatures. I am a bit of a chameleon; I rarely feel too out of place. I also felt a little out of place at my last HS Reunion but since I was on the host committee I focused on everyone else’s fun and the dis-ease went away
Audrey — I admire chameleons. There’s a lot of wisdom in how they function 🙂
From the looks of things, you are on SnapChat, a place where I recently found myself an alien, courtesy of niece Kiki’s phone app! 👻 😱
Marian — Although I’m on Instagram, I haven’t ventured the depths of SnapChat, yet. There’s a feature on my laptop (Mac) that allows you to distort your features into a variety of choices (alien, pig, corkscrew, etc) 🙂
Ah, as in most things in life, more than one way to achieve the same result!
I’ve pretty much felt out of place most of my life. Not in a negative way, more like an invited guest who gets to observe “earthlings” 😉 do what they do. But I’m completely comfortable being different.
Craters of the Moon is one of the unique places on the planet. We visited many years ago and were awestruck by the stark beauty (a beauty that is most definitely in the eye of the beholder.)
Chris
Chris — Different is good. Very good, indeed! 🙂
Agreed! I have always felt a bit out of place too. Always curious to find out why peeps do the things they do … like an explorer in our own world!
Val — I love your analogy: “Like an explorer in our own world!” 🙂
Love the photo of you two aliens! As I get older and technology takes over more and more, I often feel I don’t belong here anymore. But there’s still so much good stuff to hang around for, i’m not going anywhere!
Joan — I just had a conversation with my sister about NOT getting behind in technology. I’m hanging onto to its tail — much like a tiger’s — had get whipped around quite a bit. But I’m doing my darnedest to hang on and stay current 🙂
Practically everyday!
Fatima — With all the traveling you do, I can well imagine that you pass through different cultures, languages, and lifestyle traditions on a regular basis 🙂
Exactly!
What an awesome field trip and your “selfie” picture made me laugh out loud at my desk! There are too many times to list the times I felt I did not fit in!! Tina
Tina — I’m glad you got a kick out of that photo. We had fun taking it 🙂
Husband and I stopped at Craters of the Moon in 2009 when we drove back to Minnesota. It was so different than the terrain we’d been driving through, so stark and almost haunted feeling. Quite an experience.
Carol — I’m glad there’s a couple of you out there in the Tuesdays With Laurie readership who’ve actually been there. Otherwise, it seems quite Unbelievable 🙂
I feel like I belong at home in my cozy chair now days. But I truly do not feel like that as I reflect on most of my days. I picked a career in the church which proved to be extremely wrong for me Recently I have been successful at releasing and finding a contentment in just being.
Patricia — You’ve found the best answer of all: “…releasing and finding contentment in just BEing.” 🙂
Laurie, we had this strange experience this week of going to a local restaurant that is familiar but something was strangely off. A new server was pleasant and quietly attentive but to the rest of the staff and owners we seemed to be invisible – like in no expression, invisible and non existent kind of way. Usually, people smile and nod with quick eye contact if they are busy and unable to more – particularly when it is their customers. There was a project underway that I suspect provided the potion for these circumstances. Powerful stuff that project! We will have to go back in six months or so and see how it turns out. Love the photograph of you two!
Terrill — Ohhhhh, I’m definitely going to want the followup on that scenario.
I’m glad you enjoyed the photo. We had fun taking it 🙂
Laurie, got quite a start when the photo came into view! I’m glad I was sitting down. I look at the landscape of the High Desert here in Southern California and remind myself that this place is not alien, I am the alien. The High Desert has been here for God only knows how long, I am just a very recent transplant. Although it is sometimes frightening, it’s almost always interesting and a learning experience for a “gringa’. The Hispanic population here is certainly much higher and more prominent than I had been accustomed to in North Georgia. Knowing practically no Spanish, I have been slowly collecting a few words, mostly in connection with food items. With most everyone I see I can expect dark eyes, hair and that contented look of a well-settled person. When they look at me they see a tall woman with light blonde hair, blue eyes with a look of constant bemusement on her face. As has been said many times before, “One is to bloom where one has been planted”.
Sandi — And BLOOM you and your yard have!
I think you’re home and surrounding landscape are one of the few truly GREEEEEEN spots in that geographic location. Definitely a pleasant, welcoming, bright spot 🙂
I feel out of place with a lot of today’s too much technology, especially when things go wrong with it. I feel out of place with the too-busy-too-hurried-too scrambled lifestyles of today. But I feel in place with my writing, garden, close relatives and friends, reading a good book (preferably in print).
Sharon — You’ve got quite a list of things that help tip the balance in your favor. Yaaaaaay 🙂
Love the photo, Laurie.
Sometimes it’s how I dress or what I believe or how I act or my abilities (or lack of) or even how I talk but I’ve had my share of feeling out of place. And although it can feel uncomfortable it provides an opportunity to grow and learn. I try to remember to embrace the opportunity.
Leanne — “I try to embrace the opportunity.” My hat is off to YOU! 🙂
My first visit to Mid-day prayer with the monks of Saint John’s Abbey was a little strange–not alien, but unfamiliar. The famous Benedictine hospitality came to my rescue, and now I know what to do and feel very much at home in a new environment.
Love your funny faces.
Shirley — I love what you’re doing, and where you’re at. Just love it! 🙂
I can feel out of place with anyone, and anywhere, over anything, but then I often get over it just as quickly. It’s only when I am too much inside of myself that I tend to feel out of place.
TimelessLady — Now that’s a GREAT example. Thank you for sharing it here 🙂
Oooh! Lovely moon surface 🙂 Wish I could visit that! I don’t think I’d feel out of place on another planet lol but I sure did on the canine psychology course I’ve just withdrawn myself from. Wrong type of learning mechanism altogether for yours truly and the college running the distance learning course seems to be full of elitist snobs who I felt horribly out of place associating with. My tutor was no exception and I can’t remember feeling so uncomfortably out of place in a long time. But now I am free! Tonight I feel great, like an elitist weight has lifted off me. When I stop to think about it I am smiling and suddenly looking forward to tomorrow – I have my life back! Sad really when you think about it…but true. Even better, although that door closed today an exciting new one – in fact two, opened from another course provider and I am now looking forward to gaining my canine psychology qualifications in a new and for moi, much better way 🙂 And I don’t feel out of place!!!
EuropasIceWolf — I’m sooooooo glad you’re freeeeeeee again. Woohoo! 🙂
I have always felt out of place . As a youth it bothered me but now I am grateful . I have always respected living things . That means ALL living things I am so grateful of that …who wants to fit in anyway 🌲🌻🐾😉
Cherryx
Cherry — I’m glad that you’re good with being different now. That’s precisely and exactly how it should be 🙂
Thank you for the information on how to order your book I will give it ago . By the way you two look sooooooo beautiful on that photo 😂😂you little smashers
Cherryx
Cherry — We had so much fun taking that “alien selfie!” 🙂
Love the phrase “you little smashers,” Cherry!
What a cool place! And that bottom photo had me laughing 😉
Christy — I’m glad you enjoyed this post 🙂
I feel out of place 24/7 LOL. Once we admit it to ourselves and each other globally, we rise as one.
YesRising — Very well said. Very well, indeed 🙂
The picture of you and Len is so cute! Thanks for giving me a laugh this evening. And I had no idea there was a place like Craters of the Moon, Idaho. Such a unique place–I’d love to visit it someday.
Luci — I’m glad to gift you with a laugh 🙂
I’m happy to see that at least two martians were exploring the Craters of the Moon 😀
Tiny — Alas, we were a bit disappointed we didn’t find any green cheese… 🙂
Great post Laurie, and awesome photoshop!!
After a number of years I still feel out of place negotiating all the online quirks with running a PC everyday. One day I’ll get it. Ha!
Sam — You and me BOTH 🙂
Fantastic photo Laurie. Good question you pose. I often feel more comfortable with friends than I do sometimes with my own family. 🙂
DGKaye — I’m glad this post gave you food for thought 🙂
🙂