Some people (many, perhaps) perceived the Eclipse that took place on April 8th as an overblown, hyped-up, ridiculous interruption to our daily routines and it shouldn’t have received the headlines or pomp and circumstance that it did.  Whether it was because their golf courses were shuttered for a few hours, or because they felt that the safety of kids past a certain age should have been left in their own developing hands or those of their teachers; some people just weren’t on board with the day.  In the same logic that sees people trying to shoot down a hurricane with semi-automatic weapons, there were even those that ‘blamed’ the moon for getting in their way.  I suppose no matter what the event or situation may be, there will always be differing opinions, and I appreciate that is part of what makes living as a sentient being with a voice so beautiful – if we all shared the same opinions all the time, then nothing would challenge or force us to grow.  Still, whatever gripes there were that some held against the once in a life time event and subsequent celebrations happened to be, well, to those I say: poo poo.

I know there have been many eclipse events since the day I was born, and though I can’t honestly recall the details of any of them, I know with certainty and by contrast that I didn’t appreciate it or give any of them the attention that I did this time around.  Being the first of such magnitude in experience for Ontarians since 1979, it received the coverage that I honestly found refreshing given the alternative news topics these days.  I don’t want to view the world through rose coloured glasses all the time, but it is a breath of fresh air once in a while when the top story doesn’t not involve hate, contempt, war, or politics.  This was just a thing that was happening, beyond human control or influence, that brought people together.  Why anyone would choose to scoff at that is beyond me.

That said, because I am in my 40’s I do need to find something to complain about, and so I will point my crooked and shaky curmudgeonly finger at you, hospitality industry.  As we briefly entertained the idea of bringing our kids to Niagara Falls to witness the event, the thought of a hotel room seemed fun!  Unfortunately that opportunity was made so inaccessible to us with the hikes in prices, that all we could do was close our web browser and appreciate our own backyard.   Truth told: yes I think it’s a shame for any industry to take advantage of a situation like this, and perhaps they were doing it as a control to quell the influx and prevent the crippling of an infrastructure, and if that is true, then I stand here with my tail between my legs and I step down from my soap box.  Whatever fact from fiction is, I have to admit that being home turned out for the best, anyway.  Not only were the kids really not that interested in what was happening, but all things considered, we still got to experience something incredibly unique and special.  Still…shame on you, hotels.  Shame. On. You.

Choosing not to end this on a sour note, I will come back to the fact that, be it radio talk shows, podcasts, water cooler conversation, elementary school science class, or chats around the dinner table, for a good solid week people were talking about a collective experience involving the environment that didn’t also include the words ’emissions’, ‘climate change’, or ‘carbon tax’.  It was genuinely jovial discussion that even strangers at the checkout could engage in, typically starting with “What are you doing for the eclipse?”  It’s rare that such an event comes along that doesn’t need to cost money and that can stimulate deep thoughts, or at least they did for me.  Staring up at those two celestial bodies crossing paths, the world around me falling into a brief dusk, I couldn’t help feeling my place in the universe.  And when Audrey turned to say, “let’s all just be silent for a minute and simply listen to what is going on”, I couldn’t help feel something else entirely; something I can’t quite describe.  As the smokey, pink, blue, and yellow sky shimmered off of buildings and trees, I paused to take in the sounds of birds, yes, but also a stillness and silence that doesn’t generally occur at 3:18pm on a Monday.  Things just stopped for a moment while everyone else was doing exactly as we were and soaking in the event.  It was: beautiful.

And that seems a better place to stop.