Ah, Pluto. I knew thee well...

So in case you haven't heard, Pluto is no longer a planet. This will no doubt come to many of you as a shock, and maybe some of you will cry -- I know I did. There's no shame in it.

I grew up thinking Pluto was a planet. I had many teachers that made a point of teaching that there are 9 planets in the solar system, with Pluto usually being the furthest from the sun, except for those crazy times when it intersected with Neptune's orbit and momentarily felt the thrill of being planet #8. Those were certainly happy times; times when a young lad (or lass) could look up at the sky and wonder. But science has once again decided to redefine the very elements of my soul.

I can't help but feel that Pluto's demotion to "dwarf planet" will lead to my own feelings of inadequacy. Certainly, I fear that I may one day too be reclassified as a "dwarf human" since my meager 67 inches of height are woefully below the average of males in our giant society where bigger is better and more is never enough. I can't help but feel that the redefinition of "planet" was designed with the express purpose of removing what many considered to be "the embarrassment of our Solar System". I remember people saying, "Pluto is lame. I hate that cold, barren, tiny little rock out there!" I guess even scientists cave in to peer-pressure.

Shame on you, scientists! Give me my childhood back!

So here's to Pluto! Astronomers may refer to you as "a big floating rock or something," but to me you will always be the greatest planet in the Solar System! For only you, Pluto, have the integrity, guts, personality, and yes, the charm to buck the trends and carve your own crazy orbit. It is unfortunate that this non-conformism has in turn ostracized you from those who need you the most, for the coming generation will not know you in your full glory, if at all.