Manic Monday | A Total Eclipse of the World
At various times today throughout parts of the world the moon will eclipse the sun, in full or in part, depending on your location. While this phenomenon actually takes place roughly every eighteen months to two years, it is rare for it to occur over land, as it will today. As such, there has been much attention focused on this eclipse as it garners the attention of both the general public and the scientific community. The behaviour of many species during a solar eclipse has also been documented over time and there are some interesting and notable effects. Perhaps not surprisingly roughly 30 minutes before and after totality, bees and ants head to back into their nests, bats take to the skies and birds head to their roosts, while cattle stop grazing and many insects stop biting. More unusual behaviours are seen in the chimpanzee family which have been observed moving to higher ground or tree tops and gazing upwards orienting their bodies toward the eclipse, whales will surface and breach, while some species of spiders will take down their webs; all behaviours that do not occur normally during regular periods of nighttime darkness.
This is always a fascinating moment in time and one many in North America last remember occurring in their childhoods. It is shrouded in mystery and intrigue while at the same time taken seriously by scientists worldwide who continue to anticipate unlocking more information about the earth, our sun and the effects of this momentary darkness.
One of the definitions of the word "eclipse" in Webster's dictionary indicates "falling into a state of obscurity or decline; the state of being eclipsed", caused me to reflect on the current "darkness" that seems to be permeating many world events. Just as the sun is about to be blocked by the moon there is a growing sense of evil eclipsing good; insanity eclipsing sanity; fake news eclipsing facts and darkness blocking the light; in Game of Thrones terms... it feels like "Winter is Here".
It was with incredible shock and sadness that I watched the footage from Barcelona last week. Footage taken on the very streets that I had just walked on in June; streets where residents and tourists alike where going about their lives innocent and unaware of the darkness that was about to descend. This on top of the previous attacks in London, Nice, Paris and of course Virginia and this on top of world leaders making threatening statements that could affect all of mankind as they toy with nuclear weapons.
The world appears to be in its own state of eclipse at the moment and this one is sadly not going to be over in a matter of minutes. Unrest, uncertainty, fear and hate are blocking out the beauty and compassion that the majority of world's people share. People with similar goals and desires to provide better lives for their children, take care of their neighbour and leave the world a better place than they found it. It is critical that we remind ourselves that while we are bombarded with a daily dose of disconcerting reality we cannot let the positive efforts of so many be eclipsed by so few. Those that would hide in the shadows and take aim at innocent people cannot not push the rest of us into hiding, hiding behind the moon.
The world is in a state of eclipse, literally and figuratively and while the real sun will be back out this afternoon, much bigger changes are required to ensure the world gets back on track.
Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA President & CEO
