The solar eclipse

All yesterday & early this morning I heard reference to the wondrous sight to be seen this morning – an eclipse of the sun. I confess I wasn’t too excited. I remember a similar great event in the 60s. My form at school was taken out into the grounds to see this wonderful sight. For me it was a non-event. It didn’t do anything for me & could be quickly forgotten, only to be dug out of the pigeon holes of my mind when a further such event happened, as today. It certainly had none of the wonder of pictures I’d seen of that golden orb being covered with a black disc, which I’d thought I’d see. Nor was there any of the awesome darkness described in the Bible among other places. Certainly nothing to suggest the world was about to come to the end.  I wouldn’t have even noticed the event if I hadn’t been instructed to look at that particular time.

So we come to this morning. As I’d been reminded I thought I ought to at least look out at the appropriate time. Needless to say, today is a day of thick cloud. I looked round to see if I could at least find a brighter patch which was covering the sun. Just at that moment, the cloud parted & there was the sun, partially covered with a black disc, the moon. I didn’t look long – I hadn’t got the appropriate eye shields or a pin camera etc. to protect them from the intensity of the sun’s glare. 

Did the morning get darker, enough to fill me with awe? No. It was a dull day & didn’t seem much darker for the eclipse. I still feel it is a non-event. Maybe you need to live in a more sun-drenched part of the world, where the contrast when the sun is blocked out is greater. To me it was just one of those things that happens from time to time. I’m far more filled with awe as I examine the greenish hellebores, now in flower in our garden.