MeatSpace Adventures

We left early in the morning not knowing what to expect with the traffic situation.  I heard that 200,000 people were flocking to Carbondale (pop. 21,000) for the Eclipse.  Here in Southern Illinois, we have been lucky to have seen an eclipse twice in the past eight years.  There was one August 21, 2017, and the second was this past Monday on April 8, 2024.  Nature rarely disappoints.  Honestly, neither does Southern Illinois.  There is a distinct vibe down there once you get to Murphysboro, a subtle chill mood that lets you relax and feel good.  We loaded up our paddle boards and cooler.  Grant came back from his three-month stint in Asia, and we didn’t miss a beat.  He is like a catalyst for fun.  We drove down to Emma’s place, which is right in the thick of it all, the vibe and the totality.  We started partying in the early morning feeding our senses in preparation for the celestial event, of perhaps our lifetime.  This won’t happen again in Southern Illinois for another 300 years. 

There were discussions about being human, about the thousands of years our species have witnessed events like this and how they might have reacted.  In our modern lives, it feels like we are losing our sense of ritual and replacing it solely with ceremony.  There is a growing rift between our instincts and our self-consciousness.  We are dangerously becoming more and more removed from our connection to the natural wonders all around us.  Sometimes we need a big moment to remind us of who we are and where we came from.

Haley and Eric met us down there.  Haley brought foraged morel mushrooms, a nice touch that added emphasis towards the wonders of nature.  As all people have done for ages, we ate together, played games, and listened to our tribal music.  We talked and laughed.  The feeling that this day was something special was not lost on any of us.  

We all took to the water on Crab Orchard Lake at noon, and it was honestly the best place possible, maybe on the whole planet to watch the eclipse.  There were people around but nothing even close to crowded, unlike the overflowing parking lot of the nearby Walmart.  Some people had their telescopes and cameras set up in the lawn areas and it looked like some makeshift camping areas were set up across the inlet from the boat ramp.  Some people had their kayaks or fishing boats.  We had our paddle boards and found a secluded inlet and paddled in for the event.

Describing the actual eclipse is difficult.  I have heard that for some people it was “life changing.”  That may be going a bit too far but it was amazing, and I acknowledge that I am lucky to have been able to witness four minutes of totality.  Looking through the glasses and seeing the sun slowly being erased was awesome but nothing compares to moment when the light goes out and twilight overcomes the bright afternoon.  At that moment we were able to take off the glasses and watch this rare event with our naked eyes.  There was a distinct calmness, as if everything, even the wind, paused with wonder.  And then, just like that the world slowly went back to normal as the process reversed and the sun came back.

After the eclipse was over, Tassa, Grant, and I went to Scratch Brewery, another natural wonder of Southern Illinois.  There were a lot of people there, but it was worth the wait.  We drank our beers and soaked in the beautiful spring weather and good vibes.  We would all be at work the next day, life resumes inevitably, but pausing and basking in the grandeur of nature is good for the soul.  The total eclipse of 2024 was totally amazing, but you don’t have to wait for a big event like this to remind you of your humanity if you take notice of all the wonders of the world that are there every day.