BREATHE, BREATHE IN THE AIR...DONT BE AFRAID TO CARE...

I gotta be honest- I really wasn't much into the countdown, the constant yammering, of the solar eclipse. I went into yesterday without even (PARISH THE THOUGHT) possessing a pair of eclipse glasses!  (yeah, I know!)  My news family on Newscenter 7 were counting down for the last 3 months,  and although the idea of the economy being boosted by something other than Taylor Swift was encouraging, I approached April 8th like well... I didn't.

I tend to be one of those people that get uber excited about 3 minutes before the "event"- New Years Eve is just a fun, end of the year ritual, complete with celebrating the birthday of our great friend, prepping to drink like I was going to the chair, and THEN, about 90 seconds before the ball drops in Time Square, my inebriated heart starts to race a bit.

So all of that said, yesterday was just a normal Monday, complete with pondering my life decisions as I hopelessly got ready for work.  By about 12:30 pm, I was the sole survivor in the office, considering my lack luster attitude about the eclipse must have telekinetically been transposed to my boss, because not once was I told "Hey, get on outta here around 1 and go enjoy the eclipse at home!"  I sat here ticky tappin away on my keyboard, working, scowling...

Then, as I was eye rolling life... I noticed.  It was about 1:32pm.  Hmmmm.. wonder what's goin down outside?  I walked out and looked directly at the sun (yeah) and thought ok, I dont see shit!? (other than the start of retinal burn) I thought it was going to start around now?  My daughter shortly after texted and said "The sun is halfway covered, it's actually pretty cool looking".  OK.... my blessed eldest nugget usually doesn't get too excited about this crap either, so for her to relay this information to us, I started feeling it.  That "90 seconds before the ball drops".  I saw the guy from across the hall out smoking and asked if he had any extra glasses, and said he has one pair and they are on his desk and "have at".  I found said glasses and walked back outside and looked up (properly) and saw it- the moon was beginning to blanket our sun!  Amazing that the solar eclipse glasses um, actually WORKED?
I then found myself stepping out (like Joe Jackson told us to do back in the 80s) about every 15 min, eye spyin (properly) and being in awe of I don't know.. our universe?  I started noticing more and more of the fine employees of building 228 going out back to the parking lot and one of them asked me if I needed glasses because "she has a ton of them".  I thanked her and saundered outside.  It was about 2:50pm. 
And then it happened.
I was again amongst the finest people that I don't know- I see some of the gals in the potty from time to time- nice "good morning" smiles are shared in the lobby.  And yet me and this merry band of 228 office building goons were about to experience BEAUTY that none of us will ever see again in these here parts.  I booted up "Dark Side of the Moon" on my phone- some nameless guy sitting on the concrete wall said "Hell yeah!", and started singing.  Another guy said he was going to go and lay in the grass.  I found myself chuckling with some of the ladies, laughing how the news had to "inform people" NOT TO DRIVE with the glasses on- UM, I was blinder than Stevie Wonder?  NO SHIT!  We kept looking up and every now and then mentioning "ONLY A SLIVER LEFT".
Soon after, TOTAL ECLIPSE!  We all marveled at the drop in temperature.  The sky went to dusk.  I LITERALLY heard crickets!  We marveled at the beauty in front of us as we all dropped our glasses to our hands.  We felt spiritual.  We were, if only for a few brief minutes, a "family"?  No "pleasant" smiles in a lobby.  No "flushing of toilets" to interrupt restroom small talk.  We were experiencing one of natures most spectacular phenomenons- together.  We laughed.  We stood looking at Heaven in awe.  Suddenly the world didn't exist around us except for what was placed in front of us.
Then we all smiled, nodded, and walked back into reality.
I said last week in my first blog in 914 years that I find beauty in the ordinary.
I found PEACE in the extraordinary.