It doesn’t happen often but when it does it takes my breath away, when an incredibly large container ship, hauling ass, overtakes a smaller vessel in the channel on approach to a port in Norfolk. Because I’m standing flat and not so far away, it looks like the container is tailgating the smaller vessel and its maneuver an act of road rage. I have read the nautical rules of the road, I know who is supposed to give way, and sometimes, in busy lanes, giving way occurs with inches to spare. I also know there is a speed limit in these waters, and that container ship pulled out all the stops. It’s not like a hurrican was on her stern. I will never know why.

Last night I watched a large boat creep through the channel from my balcony. Her light was large and bright, and I could tell it was a vessel and not a person walking the beach with a flashlight because her light dipped and bobbed gently, a plaything on the waves. Ships do pass in the night, and unless we are on the shore listening for their dieseling or watching for their lights, we never know they were there.

Today the sun and moon will rise as they always do and ever shall, at least as long as we are here to record it, but the moon goddess (whatever name you bestow on her) shall pass before Helios, just for a little while. She comes between us middling creatures and the power of the sun. We will stand in wonder of the moon overtaking the sun, just for a little while, brave, informed humans protecting their eyes and brave, informed humans who throw caution to the wind because who could go blind when the sun is dark?

There is chatter about productivity being lost because everyone will be distracted and removed from their desk duties to watch the moon come before the sun and darken the day. It is my hope that employers, people of “expectation” will loosen their shirts and ties or unknot their panties and let the people flood the street to see something wondrous. Who could punish someone for being curious and excited to see the universe in action? Shame on you, I say.

And for the flat-earthers, I can only feel sorrow.  I hope you have a nice day, and I hope you have your life-jackets on when the truth of the world overtakes and overturns you.