16 Comments
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Jane Wells's avatar

This gives me chills. For real. I’m so glad you went and got a clear view. I remember how afraid I was to remove my glasses during totality in 2017, even though I was told this is the only time you can stare with your uncovered eyes. What a moment! And you got to see those arcs of plasma, too!

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Ronald Claiborne's avatar

Thank YOU for convincing me to go!

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Marianne Stack's avatar

I'm so glad that you made the trip. Great piece.

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Ronald Claiborne's avatar

Thanks, MKS. It was a reminder too to make the effort to do the things, to see the placed you're curious about. No regrets.

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Bonnie Max's avatar

Glad you went and wrote about it!

Thanks. I watched from the corner of 81st St. and East End Ave.

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Mary Myers's avatar

Great post!

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David Kerley's avatar

So... I didn't ask Jane. I asked my wife if she would drive 5 hours from DC to Ohio to see the "total" eclipse. Ron... and Jane are right. What an experience. It ended up being 10 hours of driving for 10 minutes of an amazing experience. Do it if you can. Just don't trip on the gas pump hose and fracture your elbow! Nice job Ron!!

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Ronald Claiborne's avatar

Hey David! Thanks, man. What a sight! I had a pretty rough ride home -- apocalyptic traffic -- but Jane had warned me about that too so it wasn't entirely a surprise.

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Silvia Gambardella's avatar

I admire your fortitude to take the long drive at the last minute! Wish I did the same! Very nice piece!

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Ronald Claiborne's avatar

THANK YOU! One of ,my life lessons is that it's almost always easier to not do something than to do it. Inertia. But usually it's better to act.

I'm glad I made the last minute decision to go.

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Bob Aldrich's avatar

What Eli said . . . and one very minor critique: I was somewhat alarmed to read: “Peering into the sky, now without the protective lens, I stared in awe . . . .” REALLY hoping you meant “*not* without the protective lens.”

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Ronald Claiborne's avatar

It was okay to watch the eclipse without protective lens when it was in the 2-plus minutes of totality. I quadruple checked that. And timed it.

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Bob Aldrich's avatar

Ahhh! I should have known that.

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Eli Yamin's avatar

Beautiful Ron, thanks for sharing the experience, I felt I was there!

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Ronald Claiborne's avatar

Thanks E! Where did you watch if you watched?

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Eli Yamin's avatar

Just outside our Jazz Power Initiative office on Broadway and 213th, it was an event with lots of folks with glasses staring up at Mother Nature. A bonding with neighbors for sure, but nothing like what you described upstate. Sounds like it was well worth the trip!

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