Saturday Special: Something Positive Happened on Earth Today
Everyone is united in watching this eclipse.
Thousands, if not millions, of earthlings on one side of the planet gathered to witness with great awe and excitement a celestial event between our two neighbors, the sun and the moon. Without political angst or religious fervor, we watched an eclipse that ultimately produced a halo of brilliant light around the moon's black image.
In ancient times, eclipses would strike terror in people's hearts as the moon gobbled up the sun. People today at least know these things are not catastrophic, but are occasions for wonder. What's truly wonderful about them, though, is they bring people together in a brief moment of unity. A rare thing among humans these days. Crowds gathered to focus on a unique-to-earth event that would last only four minutes.
For scientists, these are perfect opportunities to study the effects on the upper atmosphere, on environmental changes, and how those brief minutes of shadow upon the ionosphere would effect communications. To the the lay public, it brings us together to stand in awe of something outside the mundane.
As one talking head observed, everyone is united in watching this eclipse.
With the wars building up in troubled areas of the world, with young people's futures clouded by the specters of climate crisis, economic instabilities, and life choices, that four minutes of unity is priceless.
At first, the crowds are chanting, counting down to annularity, and cheering as the moon's shadow totally enters the ring of the sun's light. After a minute, everyone becomes quiet, as if in silent, personal prayer to the universe. Emotions surprise those who are viewing this for the first time.
"Why am I crying?"
"I thought I would have goose bumps, but I'm actually shaking."
"I didn't know what to expect, but this is far beyond anything I thought I would feel."
Such celestial events affect humans in ways that extend way beyond the gathering and analyzing of data. We all join even for a few moments in response to something that takes us out of the ridiculously small cataclysms that shake our daily lives. Luckily, such events occur in predictable time frames that can give us more chances to realize how much we take for granted our natural world and how little we understand about how it all works.
If you enjoyed this essay, please check out more in the Ring Around the Basin Archive.
These are the things to pay attention to in life, to remain mesmerised by them and take all the spiritual magic in. To bring the joy they give into our lives. All the rest just don't stand a chance.
Even watching this year's eclipse on TV, I got a lump in my chest and a tear in my eye as the ring of fire closed around the moon's shadow. Nature does have a way of setting us back on our feet and showing us where we stand.