My family hit the jackpot yesterday.
Providence would have it that we found ourselves in the totality region of yesterday’s solar eclipse. We enjoyed it from our deck.
Apparently, the math works out that the average American lives in the totality region every 375 years. It was a once in an every four generations moment! Afterwards, I told my newborn son named William: “Sorry man, this will never happen to you again.”
While my parents have traveled for eclipses in the past only to be disappointed by cloudy skies, I’m really not one to geek out on these kinds of things. I woke up yesterday, and was like “Oh, it’s eclipse day!”
A friend texted me last week: “Do you know of any awesome events happening around the Eclipse? I think you’re quite close to the Totality region? I hope you say something like — yes, we’re going to worship the Eucharistic Lord on the Solemnity of the Annunciation and then walk outside and see the total eclipse of the Sun! And then drink beer.” My response was simply: “HAHA, yes we are in the region. We just had a kid, so I’m just trying to make sure that none of my kids look in the wrong place and get blinded forever.” But, drink beer I did.
I wanted to share how it went, and what the experience was like from totality:
Providence would have it that we found ourselves in the totality region of yesterday’s solar eclipse. We enjoyed it from our deck.
Apparently, the math works out that the average American lives in the totality region every 375 years. It was a once in an every four generations moment! Afterwards, I told my newborn son named William: “Sorry man, this will never happen to you again.”
While my parents have traveled for eclipses in the past only to be disappointed by cloudy skies, I’m really not one to geek out on these kinds of things. I woke up yesterday, and was like “Oh, it’s eclipse day!”
A friend texted me last week: “Do you know of any awesome events happening around the Eclipse? I think you’re quite close to the Totality region? I hope you say something like — yes, we’re going to worship the Eucharistic Lord on the Solemnity of the Annunciation and then walk outside and see the total eclipse of the Sun! And then drink beer.” My response was simply: “HAHA, yes we are in the region. We just had a kid, so I’m just trying to make sure that none of my kids look in the wrong place and get blinded forever.” But, drink beer I did.
I wanted to share how it went, and what the experience was like from totality:
- Everything closed down at noon. I literally went for a walk on the trail outside my office to talk to a friend on the phone, and I got locked out! The whole thing reminded me of the Indy 500 every May, but a month early this year, as people traveled in from all over to central Indiana.
- The eclipse lasted an hour or so before and after totality. 3:06pm was our moment, and we had 3 1/2 minutes in totality.
- When it happened, you couldn’t miss it and the natural world around us took notice: It was very dark, but not pitch black like at midnight. The gnats, which only come out during spring/summer nights, swarmed as soon as the sun was covered. Was it the end of the world after all? I couldn’t help but think of the third plague in the book of Exodus and wonder for a moment! The birds stopped chirping; it was noticeably still and silent around us. And the temperature dropped to the point where it would have been nice to have had a long sleeve shirt on whereas before you were sweating in a tee.
- My kids loved totality because they didn’t have to use the funny glasses anymore, which were very hard for a 2 and 4-year-old to understand. I had to develop this ritual for how to put them on and take them off, lest they be blinded by the light. My daughter loved the game, my son remained concerned. It took half an hour to get it right: “Now, like Daddy. Head down, put them on. Look up at the sun. See the cookie bite. Look down at the ground. Take them off. You did it!” Had to be there maybe, haha.
- I’ll write about this sometime I’m sure, but I’m very attentive to what I feel in my body almost all the time. In short, the body speaks. When totality hit, I was very uneasy in my stomach. It felt wrong. It’s 3pm. It was hot and sunny. Now it’s dark and cold. But, it’s still 3pm.
- When it was over, I felt the wound of beauty, but it took me a few minutes to realize it. Totality was long enough to experience and remember, but short enough to wonder if you had embraced the fullness of the moment... I missed it when it was over.
- Lastly, and what surprised me the most: Before and after totality, it was as blinding as ever to look at the sun. You had to have the glasses on at every moment up to the moment, and to put them back on again as soon as it was over. This struck me: 97, 98, 99% was not safe nor exceptional. And while the sky around was darker for sure, it was simply nothing like totality.
I’ve been wrestling with this last observation since the experience. How is it the case that 99% was nothing like 100%? 99% was just not that cool, not worthy of traveling for in my opinion. But, totality was something you’ll never forget. Why?
I visited adoration on my way into work partly to pray through this question. The insight didn’t come until I looked down on my New Testament. I got the Bibliotheca Bible a few years ago for my birthday, and I’m finally using it many years later. The Bible is split into five sections: 1. Five Books & Former Prophets; 2. The Latter Prophets; 3. The Writings; 4. The Apocrypha; 5. The New Testament. The covers of the books go from Black to Dark Grey to Lighter Greys to finally the Pure White of the New Testament.
When I glanced at the White of the New Testament, I realized that this is it. I’m one to be as open as possible to truth, and to learn from everything and everyone I can: “All truths unite in the face of the Truth: Jesus Christ.” I say this all the time.
Yes, but then there is the fullness of the faith, which possesses the Catholic Church, that’s like totality. 99% just isn’t it. And I feel so grateful to be part of her, and privileged to spend my days in her service.
What an Annunciation day it was, a total eclipse of the sun.
✌️,
Jamie
Jamie