Witnessing history: Making a family plan to watch solar eclipse
I am writing this at 10 p.m. Sunday, April 7, 17 hours before I hope to witness a bit of area history with my own eyes.
I've been more "miss" than "hit" when it comes to national or international historical events. I was at home, sick and asleep when the space shuttle Challenger met its fate in 1986, while my classmates watched it live at school. I did see the infamous O.J. Simpson Bronco "chase" on TV in 1994, but had no TV access at all where I worked on Sept. 11, 2001.
If all went as planned, we will have traveled to a point somewhere in northwest Ohio, in the path of the total solar eclipse. I have never experienced a full eclipse and, with a small cache of rated viewing glasses and plenty of reminders on how to use them, the family and I were set to experience the celestial phenomenon together.
I was in lower elementary school in 1979 when I learned of my first solar eclipse. Because of our age, we stayed inside and had paper and verbal lessons about what was going on outside over Addison. Similarly, my daughter's elementary class planned to remain inside, watching a livestream video of the eclipse. We had planned to give her the advantage, though, of having the added memory of being where it got dark mid-afternoon and to safely experience totality.
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Until the weekend, the long-range forecast for Eclipse Day, April 8, showed clouds and perhaps rain. That rain came Sunday evening instead, with promises of clearing skies by lunch Monday.
Hopefully, all will have gone as planned, and the child will have an amazing report upon returning to school Tuesday.
My Lenawee County history Facebook page surpassed 10,000 followers last week, a nice surprise not foreseen just a few short months ago. It has been fulfilling seeing people sharing memories and even connecting with long-lost friends. I am thankful to everyone who is a part of the group and for expanding knowledge of our communities' pasts.
— Dan Cherry is a Lenawee County historian.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Making a family plan to witness solar eclipse
