Let me just start by saying: I’m a huge nerd, I was born during the solar eclipse in 1970. Whether it was during totality in my area is up in the air because I don’t know my exact time of birth. I was told my dad went out and was watching it while waiting for me to be born.

Anyway, if you’ve never seen a total eclipse (like me) it’s absolutely surreal. I’ve seen plenty of partial eclipses because I love them and have that connection/affinity for them. (and space in general.) In 2017 we had one get to 80% and it was awesome. I took pictures and I scored one with a black cat walking through a myriad of little eclipses that were cast on the ground by the tree leaves. (I’ll attach it when I’m home and on my PC. I’m at work and on the laptop right now.)

Nothing can compare to it, you see everything seems to get dim. My son said: It’s like adjusting the color on your monitor, it’s dull. And it gets a little darker and darker, you think you have time that it will continue this gentle descent into darkness, but it’s not. When totality hits, it’s so sudden. Everything changes.

I gasped.

The temperature dropped, the street lights came on and it was just like being outside on a full moon. The stars were out. Clouds formed, a breeze blew through. It’s beautiful, it’s eerie, it’s amazing and surreal. I imagined how the primitive people must’ve felt seeing it. The horrifying amazement they must’ve felt.

For 4 minutes and 11 seconds, it was neither day nor night but at the same time, it was both. At first, all I could do was stare at it in shock as it registered. My heart was racing, I was smiling from ear to ear and so excited and yet calm awe. Struck by the spectacle. I can’t even put it into words exactly. Then my heart began racing, a smile spread from ear to ear and I so excited and yet calm in total awe. Struck by the spectacle. You have GOT to be there to understand it, it’s an experience. I wish it could last for longer. The words: awesome! Badass! Wow, oh my god, incredible were sprinkled liberally amongst the myriad of things that spilled out of our mouths.

And after entirely too short a time, totality ended and the world was plunged back into daylight. Again it was sudden and shocking, my heart dropped in disappointment.

I didn’t want it to end yet. In my video, I breathed: And just like that, it’s back.

You have GOT to be there to understand it, it’s an experience. I wish it could last for longer. I told my son, we need two moons and this should happen again. I need to see it again, but the next one won’t be visible in my area until 2044 and I’ll be 74. If the world is still here, and I make it to that age… I’ll consider myself lucky to get to see it twice in my life.

4 minutes and 11 seconds was not enough.

~~Your Still Giddy
Kaw

PS. This is one of those things where I recorded it but also made sure to be in the moment. Being in the moment often means not getting the best video, and that’s okay. I wanted it in my memory as well as in my camera. The camera cannot do it justice.