Activity is markedly increased in Carbondale today. Streets are blocked and vendors are out in full regalia. 50 thousand folks are here or on their way to join us in the last solar eclipse for 20 years. A member of Congress commented that God is sending his signs of displeasure with a recent earthquake. Ms. Greene includes her admonition for all to pray as the solar eclipse is coming on Monday and is a further sign of God’s wrath. I am not disputing that the ways of God are often difficult to understand…but earthquakes and solar eclipses we do understand.

I have heard on more occasions than I care to remember comments regarding the illnesses of our fellow human travelers as a clear sign of God’s displeasure. It becomes more curious when the person assigning blame on behalf of God is the one who is ill or encounters the vagaries of nature.

Now as we gaze through our eclipse glasses on Monday and marvel at the miracle before us, there are things we do not understand beyond our little blue planet.

Einstein told us regarding time, ‘in physics know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.’ ‘In other words, time is an illusion.’

‘Time appears to pass normally to a person in strong gravity, while a clock in weak gravity runs fast. While to the person in weak gravity, the clock appears to run normally, and the clock in strong gravity runs slowly. Time is slowing down and speeding up because of the relativistic way mass warps space and time.’

Scientists ask, ‘If time is relative, am I already dead?’

‘If there is no perception of time before we’re born or after we die, is the existence of time relative or absolute?’

So there is a lot that we do not know. We listen to political leaders who assure us they have a direct line to God and speak on his behalf. Their embarrassing archaic view of faith is pugilistic.

We will look to the sky on Monday as our ancestors and their ancestors before they did. Unified in our desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves we seek to understand. War misogyny and marginalization have not succeded in enriching our understanding. We have been coned so often that it feels normal. We want our jailers to like us and love us. We desire to curry favor with the master as we work in the hold of the ship rowing to the destination that the Boss wants us to take him…as we look to the sky and realize that somehow we have missed the point and the vision…the purpose of our being…

I noticed yesterday as I was enjoying my Woods that the workers were making and installing numerous No Parking signs throughout Giant City. Giant City will be full of Eclipse watchers for the next few days. We live in the section of the United States that will have the best view of the total solar eclipse on Monday. Seven years ago was our last solar eclipse. I have often described the viewing of it as a religious experience. We watched from Blue Sky Vineyard and plan on doing the same on Monday. It is estimated that over 50 thousand people will travel to our region to have the ultimate experience.

The spirit and camaraderie among eclipse watchers is unifying. Suddenly it dawns on us that we are all, ‘In the same boat on a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.’ G.K. Chesterton.

Republicans and Democrats alike can enjoy the shared experience with even Independents. Those of faith no matter what it is live under the same Sun. Those of no faith are our brothers and sisters.

It seems that none of us have cornered the market on the Sun. We all are on the most magnificent and mysterious ride of our lives throughout space and time.

50 Thousand people are not coming to Little Egypt to sample our wine although it is wonderful. Indeed they are not coming because a religious leader or politician recommended them to come. They are coming to witness something bigger than them. We want to see a celestial event devoid of hyperbole and grift. Something that surpasses our petty grievances and strife with each other.

We seek him here and we seek him there we seek him everywhere, the demned elusive Pimpernel. We are waiting for Godot.

We eschew the easy postulations of our reason for being. Are we as great as we think…or are we bit players on the magnificent stage of life?

What would we think if we could view our Earth from the edges of the Milky Way? Would we ascertain that some of us are irrevocably right and the rest of us are lost in the degradation of our race or religion or marginalization?

Are we the ants on the anthill? Are we in the stone age of development? Does God love us perfectly and say, ‘Bless their hearts…’

Yesterday I saw old yellowed newspaper photos on Facebook of me and my high school graduation class in 1975. They were published in the Eldorado newspaper The Daily Journal. I was amazed that the picture did not look as bad as I recalled. Nothing would satisfy Neva J other than for the picture to be professionally taken which was not the usual order for business for my likeness. I do recall being impressed that the photos were printed in the Journal and believe I probably kept a copy for several years until it was lost in the detritus of moves and change.

I vividly remember knowing that I was soon to strike out on my own at the ancient age of 17. I was quite certain that I had the answers to life’s persistent questions. I learned as I traveled that I had few mentors and few detractors. Most life skills I picked up through empirical study. Neva J used to say ‘Monkey see monkey do’ so I aped what I observed others do that seemed to be successful.

As time progressed I developed my own style and distinct personality. Authenticity is compelling. It is also refreshing. Representing yourself is a genuine manner of displaying who you are to the world.

I heard a person say the other day that many people do not want to do the hard work of making their own decisions. They seek a leader for their lives. Someone who will purportedly perform the research to determine what is best for them.

Hitler had a plan for Germany. It was developed from his sick mind and narcissistic persona. His delusions of grandeur caused the death of 6 million Jewish people as well as the devastation of his country. He was regular in appearance and underwhelming. Hitler was a failed artist who melted into a crowd. He was a true study of the banality of evil.

When you encounter a genuine fellow human being who is not dressed in the mask that they wear in public they are captivating. They are unfiltered and unashamed of their skills and beliefs and revel in the personality that God gave them. They carry a sense of place with them wherever they are.

We were the Baby Boomers in 1975. Not the first of the Boomers nor the last but clearly identified with the group. We hoped to obtain a good job a nice car and a fine retirement where we could travel. We came from a little coal mining town and we hoped to see and experience bigger places. We had seen years of the Vietnam War and knew people who had served and who had given their lives in the conflict. The 60s really did not conclude until 75 in many ways. We were going to change the world and then become part of what we had intended to transform.

50 years beyond 1975 seemed like Alice In Wonderland or 2001 A Space Odyssey. Nothing seemed to change and yet we were entering one of my favorite television shows of the 60s…The Twilight Zone…

Spring brings storms. Tornadoes are a frequent occurrence in our midwest home. I have mentioned previously my stepfather’s habit of escaping a bad thunderstorm by proclaiming in the deep night, ‘Let’s run to the car…and Jay bring Cheetah!’ Now Cheetah did not like the sight of me and regularly let me know by her upturned lip and the revealing of several sharp cannine teeth and a low ominous growl. I first did not understand the wisdom of getting in a little car and hoping to outrun a fast-moving tornado nor did I want Cheetah to join me in the fool’s errand…

So it goes with today’s quest to excuse and defend politically powerful people to say whatever hurtful thing that they choose about anyone who tangentially ends up in the crosshairs of their hate speech.

Truth has become fiction and fiction is now lauded as the truth. I grew up hearing about the Antichrist. There was a great fear that this individual would be so mysterious and wise like a serpent and difficult to detect by even the wisest men and women that he would deceive all that listened to him. Somehow in this future deceiver, the message of Christ and his walk of humility and peace would be changed by the AC and the people of the distant future would never know when it happened it would be so insidious…

Jesus never spoke much about money…’ Render unto Ceasar the things that are Ceasars and unto God the things that are Gods.’ He mentioned that he had nowhere to lay his head. Today the goal is money and the more the better…as a blessing from God for doing his will. Again, in my youth, I read Fox’s Book Of Martyrs which discussed the countless Christians who were killed simply for their belief in Christ. I suppose they did not get the ‘Money Message!’

A Mob is a scary thing. Palm Sunday illustrated the love at the moment the people had for Christ riding on a donkey through the streets of Jerusalem as they lay palm leaves in front of his path. A few days later they cried crucify him…and chose the murderer Barabbas instead of the Messiah who they had lauded as their king a few days before…what happened…