Today is the big day. A total eclipse of the sun. In some areas anyway.

Here in Ottawa the eclipse won’t be total. The moon will only cover 99 per cent of the sun, but it is still a big thing for some people. So much so that schools have been canceled as a safety precaution. Still, we’re not as bad as those cities that, in anticipation of thousands of tourists, have declared a state of emergency.

I don’t know how many eclipses I have experienced. I could look it up I suppose, but I don’t really care. I think the last one was in 1993. There was a partial eclipse in Ottawa in 2017, if I remember correctly, but we were living in Germany at the time.

I remember learning about eclipses in elementary school. About Grade Two or Three, One of the things we learned was not to look at the sun – and why.

Does closing schools today imply that this new generation of children aren’t as smart as we were? That was my first thought.

You can watch an eclipse if you use special glasses. In 1993 my neighbor had some welder’s glass – it was safe to watch through it.

Really though, the view was better on television. If I watch today’s eclipse that will probably be my medium of choice. Completely safe, or as safe as watching TV normally is.

Only one thing had me considering whether t watch the event live. This could be my last eclipse. There won’t be another one in this area until 2044, 20 years from now. I may not live to see it.

That’s not being morbid, that’s simple math. My paternal grandfather died at age 46. My maternal grandfather at 70. My father was long-lived for our family, dying on his 85th birthday,

By 2044 I will be long past 85. I’m not planning on dying before then, but it isn’t that unlikely either.

So what are your plans today, if you happen to be in one of the areas experiencing the eclipse. Are you going to watch it in person? Or content yourself with online or television coverage?

And what do you think I should do?