OOH AND AAH
“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s ‘real’ life — the life God is sending one day by day.” C.S. Lewis
Life would be much smoother, easier, and frankly more boring without interruptions. Although they are almost always inconvenient, I’ll take interruptions. Interruptions really? “Yes,” they add spice, flavor, and excitement to life. They teach, tutor, and bring knowledge. They create space for creativity to blossom and promote personal growth.
What an interruption for thirty-two million of my fellow humans last Monday the likes of which many will never see again if their life should end before 2045. One had to be living under a rock to not know that sunlight would be interrupted by the moon on April 8, 2024. Many miles were traveled to be in the path of Eclipse 2024, interrupting smooth and perhaps boring everyday lives with celestial spice, flavor, and excitement. Others stayed put but secured special glasses to view the spectacular event. Many who had high hopes for a clear, cloudless day had them dashed by another interruption, a persistent thick layer of clouds.
The interruptions were certain and there was nothing any of us could do to stop either.
So much of one’s existence is about unexpected and unpleasant interruptions. Therefore, so much of life is about managing them. The expected ones give us the impressive opportunity to practice the management of them in a control environment. There are healthy approaches and a basket filled with negative options. One leads to rewards and the other to continued disappointment, loss of experiences, and discomfort. What do I mean?
The eclipse was going to happen. The questions to ask oneself were simple? Preparation - Where to look for it (location)? How to look at it safely? And yes, there was the uncertainty of the cloud cover, but proper preparation was a healthy approach. Others chose to believe that it was hype, nothing would happen and if something happened no safety measures were needed. I would imagine that there were some left saying, “Wow, I wish I had glasses.” Some stayed indoors and missed the opportunity of a lifetime.
Regardless of your stance, the interruption happened and those who accepted it, leaned into it, have a story of an uncommon event to share with others. Acceptance of the expected or unexpected interruptions and subsequent preparation to manage appropriately works every time.
Because of the cloud cover in my geography, I got to look at the sky and catch impressive glimpses of the moon passing in front of the sun for almost an hour, much of it without safety glasses. In the world of so much division, I felt momentarily connected to millions of other viewers. The aahs and oohs that slipped from my lips in amazement were as authentic in 2024 as they were in 2017, the year that I witnessed my first total eclipse.
How was I tutored? Control is an illusion. Unity is possible if only for a moment. I will never look at the sun without remembering I saw it eclipsed by the moon.
PONDER THIS THOUGHT--- Embrace life giving interruptions.
