Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
A day when all eyes turned to the skies
Where were you on April 8? Chances are you were wearing funny looking glasses, gazing skyward. Did you see it? A solar eclipse! I find the whole phenomenon interesting.
This one event, orchestrated by God, grabbed the attention of an entire nation. Here at Brittany Pointe, groups of residents and some staff members waited patiently outside for the show to begin.
Outside of my office, a group of six residents brought out lawn chairs, little tables and a slew of snacks, which included, of course, Moon Pies! They turned an astrological event into a party.
Several of us joined them in this time of festivity, and when the clouds parted for a bit, we got glimpses of the main event. The temperature fell quickly, about 10 degrees. And it got a bit darker — of course, there were a good number of clouds, which might have had something to do with it. But the romantic in me wants to think it was caused by this great celestial happening.
That party atmosphere seems to have overtaken the whole country, and especially those in the path of totality. I saw on the news that a large group of couples were actually married during the eclipse in the Philadelphia area. What a great idea! Doubtful that they will ever forget their anniversary.
Many people did an impromptu road trip, to anywhere on the path of totality. What an adventure! Many people were so struck with emotion and the awe and majesty of this event, they literally cried. The stories reported on every major channel were heartwarming.
What struck me the most is that there seemed to be no time for hatred or crimes. With all eyes pointing upward, no one was looking to cause trouble.
We were too busy, entranced by the celestial dance of the sun and the moon. There were no reports of violent crimes on the news reports that evening — all attention was focused on the magnificence of the eclipse. What a nice change.
We are certainly fascinated by these acts of nature — the week before this main event, many of us felt the earth move beneath us. An earthquake! This is certainly not a regular occurrence in our lives.
After all, Pennsylvania is not known for its seismic activity, though many of us are located on a fault line — the Ramapo Fault Line, to be precise. Who would have guessed?
People certainly are fascinated with the beauty that lies all around us in nature. Many of us are moved by sunrises and sunsets, everyday occurrences that so many take for granted.
Do you want to feel good? Take a look at a beautiful sunset, with its hues of pinks and oranges. We don’t have to wait for a phenomenon like the eclipse to appreciate the beauty and the magic that is literally all around us.
Look for beauty, beyond the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and I promise you will find it.