Don’t Blink!

Good morning!  I hope your day is off to a great start.

Today is a special day for much of the United States.  In a few hours, most of us will be able to see the sun and the moon at the exact same place in the sky at the exact same time.  Granddaddy used to always say it’s a lazy man who can see the moon in the daytime.  Well, if it blocks out the sun completely, does that still count?  I think nature has to take some of the blame for this one.

And if you think a full moon brings out the best in people, imagine a dark full moon in the middle of the day.  People are traveling from around the country and spending more than $1000 for a single night in a fleabag motel to find a coveted spot in the roughly 110-mile-wide path of totality, where the moon will completely block the sun … for exactly four minutes.  I get to see it for free.

Of course, based on the price of these high-tech disposable viewing glasses, it may be one of the last things I’ll ever see.  I take some of the best vitamins known to man to help keep me from getting sick, but apparently my eyes are only worth $1.99.  For the record, I spent six times that much on lottery tickets this weekend.  Hey, you’ve gotta have priorities.

My grandson was asking why it’s such a big deal.  Okay, he’s 24 and will likely live long enough to see another one.  Odds are, I won’t.  So, at the appointed time, I’ll be standing in my front yard with my $1.99 glasses protecting my eyes from what could be my last chance to view such an amazing event.  I’m sure I won’t be alone.

Between inflated gas prices, astronomical lodging rates, and all the extras (tee shirts, anyone?), some of these people are paying a lot of money to watch a cloudy sky do what it does every night.  According to the Carly Simon song, an egotistical acquaintance once flew his Learjet to Nova Scotia for the same view.  Hopefully he was equally dedicated to his other endeavors.

I guess the question that comes to mind is, how many of these people would be willing to invest a fraction of the time, money, and effort, to build an income that would allow them to fly their own jet to the next one?  How many, while driving days to witness four minutes of darkness, will pass the time sharing dreams and discussing ways they could work to achieve them?

We all like to say we’re too busy to take on anything new, but when something like an eclipse comes along, time just seems to materialize.  And that’s okay, for a once in a lifetime event.  But what about when the moon moves on, and the sun comes back out?  Will we find the time to chase some of our own dreams?  Or will we go back to whatever we’ve been doing all these years?

Thankfully, most dreams don’t come with an expiration date.  You’re never too young or too old, and plans we made ten years ago can still be put into place.  We just have apply the same sense of urgency with which we’d chase an eclipse.  Or a new romance.  My grandson has mastered that one. 

That’s all for now.  If you have the chance, get outside and enjoy the view.  It’s an experience you won’t forget.  Meanwhile, have an awesome day!

© 2024 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved