Once in a Lifetime

We had our lists made,  boiled the eggs, froze water in bottles. . .

Then we gave up. It’s 8 o’clock at night. We planned to leave  in the morning at 6.

Food for two days, water, ice, camera, i-Pad, kindles, sleeping bags, pillows, tooth brush, medicine, solar glasses. . .overwhelming. Jan’s sister owns a house and ranch near Idaho Falls. We planned to camp there and sleep in our van.

I had been blah all day. DeRay thought it was Friday and we had Saturday to get ready. Amy is still silent and in pain. We e-mailed Brent and Jan, who are on the road. They live in Kansas City, close to the path of total eclipse, BUT it is predicted to be cloudy so they are traveling 1100 miles to catch a better chance in Wyoming. As is their custom, they are making an adventure out of it, following the Mormon Trail, camping out and visiting historical sites all along the way.

On 8/19 at 4:32 PM, Brent writes: On the way to Douglas . . .

On Aug 20, 2017 3:26 PM, "Brent Hugh"  wrote:

We're about 1.5 hours from our camping shout near Douglas, WY. Weather looking good, keeping fingers crossed. Spent the night on a lake near Ogallala, NE.

 On Aug 20, 2017 4:27 PM, "Brent Hugh"  wrote:

This is actually quite a lot of traffic considering we are literally in the middle of nowhere Wyoming.

However--not exactly gridlock, either.

I respond: 

Exciting.
      You will have to be our eyes to see; and our souls to experience this amazing phenomena.

Share every feeling.

I feel sad we are missing it but when you don't even know what day it is, how can you be trusted to arrive? We don't do anything for Amy but we are here in case of an emergency. Her throat has been sorest today but she can drink ice water so she figures its healing. With the trailer upheaval and all this week, we just left getting ready too late and couldn't face it. Two 80-year-old jerks. Think of us during the moment. We love you, Mom

When we cancelled, at first I thought: We have a gift of two days. Maybe I can get caught up.

Then I re-listened to Doug Fabrizio’s podcast with David Baron, who wrote the book “The American Eclipse”, on the wonders of a total solar eclipse.

It is an emotional experience.

You will be surprised at your personal reaction.

The first one I saw I felt like I had been transported to another planet.

Be prepared to have your mind blown.

It is a life-changing experience.

A total solar eclipse is the most awe-inspiring sight in all of nature.

Intense.

Spiritual (and he claimed he is not a spiritual person).

I suddenly saw truth.

I suddenly understood where I stood in the universe.

Tremendously humbling – at the same time empowering.

The eclipse is a way to connect the present with the past. It was 1918 when the United States was able to view a total eclipse across the country. Now we can view the same view of the heavens they saw 99 years ago. They have many more questions than we have today. Mainly, scientists will be studying the solar corona where the temperature is one million degrees, while the sun itself is around 1000 degrees.

His advice is to GO.

Be prepared to experience an awe-inspiring sight.

Don’t try to photograph it.

Just look and feel.

You will see colors like you’ve never seen before.

Look for planets.

Note a temperature drop.

Use the moment to take it in with all your senses.

It is the chance to wonder at yourself –

what a miracle that we are alive –

all at the mercy of nature.

Be with family; those you love; watch how they react.

Be prepared to have your brain re-wired.

And we gave all that up because we were too tired to pack? What’s two days? Will we be forever sorry?

I find solace in what someone wrote on Facebook: The funny thing is... there's a similar phenomenon each and every day. It's called "night". Yes, an eclipse is a magical and fairly rare thing, but remember to be an observer in each moment also. 

That we can do, even if we are in our 80’s and don’t know what day it is.