Senack: How the solar eclipse created a rare sense of community

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In a time of so much upheaval in our world, Monday’s solar eclipse was a reminder that we are more connected than we think. Unfortunately, the unity we saw will soon be forgotten, despite the phenomena being a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most.

No matter our backgrounds, genders, sexualities or life stories, many of the nearly one million Ottawa residents paused in their footsteps to look up at the skies together.

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As the sun faded behind the darkness of the moon, the hustle and bustle of streets went silent. Business owners stepped out from their storefronts. Vehicles pulled over to the side of the road to catch the rare glimpse. In city parks, kids stopped their games of soccer and basketball to witness real-life science on their day off from school. Strangers spoke to their neighbours. People travelled from across the world to see the beauty above us. There were feelings of energy, excitement and amazement.

At Billings Bridge Mall, I witnessed shoppers stand for a few moments outside, lending their protective glasses to those who didn’t have a pair. In the nearby McDonald’s parking lot, a city worker explained what was happening to an elderly couple who gasped in awe and wonder. On Bank Street, an enthusiastic woman recording the eclipse on her computer let a cyclist see the astonishing view through her eclipse eyewear. Everywhere you looked, people had their eyes to the skies.

These were simple acts of kindness. For about three minutes and 40 seconds, there were moments of unity and inclusion. It felt like time slowed as street lights turned on and a grey sky descended over Ottawa. Then, as the sun returned and the weather warmed, residents went back to the comfort of their daily lives.

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The world is a more polarized and self-centred place than ever. Wars, conflicts, diseases and struggling economic circumstances have forced many into their own lifeboats. The eclipse created a temporary calming of the waters, renewing a deepened feeling of community. For a few hours, more than 31 million people in North America were connected through a shared experience.

As I stared up towards the sky, and saw people pause for reflection, I thought of the beauty we often miss when we don’t stop to enjoy the view: a summer sunset at Major’s Hill Park, the roaring waterfalls of Hog’s Back, the blooming tulips at Dow’s Lake in May, the changing of the seasons in Gatineau Park. All miraculous and mysterious gifts our world has given us — yet ones we often look past.

Whether you were in the full path of totality when the eclipse passed or not didn’t matter. Ottawa residents will always remember where they were and who they were with as scientific history was made.

This once-in-a-generation eclipse is a reminder that we must all slow down and take in the beauty around us. Do good deeds, check in on your neighbours, be more selfless and share with others. Let’s not wait another 20 years for the next full eclipse to re-enact the feeling of community we all just collectively witnessed. We only live once — let’s try to bring some warmth and sunshine to others.

Charlie Senack is an Ottawa writer and editor of the Kitchissippi Times newspaper. Reach him at: [email protected].

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