Skip to main content

Waffling

Once upon a time, before they moved the monument, before the rally in Arizona, was the Eclipse. Can you remember that far back? You recall, it was the event I wasn't all that jazzed up about because of all the hype. No one at my house was, really.

Well, the morning of the long-awaited event dawned relatively clear. Things looked promising and I began to see posts from folks in town and those who had ventured far afield to get a better view. I began to feel a little tingle. A twinge, even. Was it FOMO?

What if this eclipse really was a big deal and I was going to miss out because I was pulling a Cool Kid/Not Easiy Impressed attude?

Hmm.

I saw a friend put out a desperate Mom-call for a pair of eclipse glasses. I saw another, generous mom respond in the affirmative. And then I made my move. I messaged that generous mom privately and asked if she might possibly have one extra pair of eclipse glasses. Of course, if she didn't, that was No Big Deal.

She did. She'd be glad to pass it along but she was going to be running errands so could we meet up someplace?

And so, on the morning of the eclipse, I found myself in an unfamiliar place, waiting for the Drop Off. (Story aside, it was the EZ Café off Route 40 and I give it high marks.) I bought an iced coffee and a croissant because I didn't want to look suspicious. I worked nonchalantly on my iPad while keep an eye on the entrance.

At long last my contact appeared and we made the switch. I asked if I could pay her. She graciously declined. I asked if I could make a donation somewhere in her honor. She smiled. She gave me some suggestions. We departed.

And that, friends, if how I came to make a donation and become a member of the Howard County NAACP on the morning of the Eclipse. It was something I had been meaning to do for quite some time. It had just slipped my mind. You can learn more about what's happening with our local NAACP here.

I confess to you, my dear readers, that I did not remain firm in my rejection of all things eclipse. I waffled. I thought about the beauty and precision of the natural world and the opportunity to witness something pretty amazing and a wave of excitement came over me. I wanted to share that experience with my family.

And so I did. It was pretty darn cool, too. My husband was probably the most excited. Our teen went along with the whole thing, but, to be honest, she was nonplussed. She was playing Sims and we interrupted her several times and really, from her tone, I think it was No Big Deal.

The innate ability of teens to be unimpressed is most likely a feature of the natural world, too. It's stunningly reliable. Just like an eclipse.

I'm glad I changed my mind.







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...