No, the Reckoning is not buying into the eclipse hoopla. My gas tank is filled. I'm staying staying put.
There won't be any Reckoning eclipse commerative mugs, t-shirts or glasses.
We understand the excitement — sorta.
There will be total darkness in the middle of the day for about two to four minutes in many places including South Arkansas. It won't happen again in these parts for another 500 years or something like that!. We will all be dead. Fact. That's kinda depressing.
On that note, an element of creepiness exists about this eclipse – like the start of a apocalyptic movie. Haven't we had enough sci-fi weirdness to last a lifetime? COVID-19. Enough said.
The last hyped eclipse I remember was in 2017 when my mom was dying of lung cancer. As little half moons danced on the sidewalk, my mom's oxygen dropped from the mid-90s into the 70s. I thought she was going to die. She didn't. Then. But she was never the same after that eclipse. Six days later she passed away.
Some people have told me this was coincidence. Some have actually asked if I have documentatiom of the episode. No, but I witnessed it with my own two eyes. The whole event was spooky.
Through the ages
For centuries, eclipses have been harbingers of doom. Perhaps, I'm reincarnated from one of those cultures that believed in such theories.
For example, in ancient Greece, a solar eclipse was a sign of angry gods and the beginning of disasters and destruction.
The Japanese believed poison fell from the sky during an eclipse so they covered their walls to protect themselves. Maybe that will be how I spend Sunday night covering my walls. In what, I haven't a clue.
In Dracula's Transylvania, people believed an eclipse would cause a plague. We definitely don't need one of those in 2024.
An eclipse's darkness also is connected to the crucifixion of Jesus and the passing of the Prophet Muhammad’s son, Ibrahim, in Islam.
In Mexican folklore pregnant women have long been told to stay indoors during an eclipse and avoid eating. They are also warned not to carry a knife.
An eclipse could cause blindness, birthmarks and cleft lips in babies. A pregnant woman, it was — and in some parts of Mexico still is advised — to wear a safety pin near her belly and red underwear, to protect the baby from having a cleft palate.
A 1995 study published in “Salud Publica Mex” actually addressed the pregnancy folklore and an eclipse.
“An analysis of the logic of one of the commonest health beliefs in rural areas of Mexico is made, taking as a starting point testimonies collected in the area of Ocuituco, in the state of Morelos. This belief suggests that a pregnant woman is in danger of having a harelipped baby during a solar eclipse.”
NASA has debunked this myth.
Still, I did witness what happened to my mom during the 2017 eclipse. One really has to wonder what an eclipse does to the human body.
Dollar Signs and Doom
No doubt, the eclipse is an highly-anticipated economic boost to Arkansas. The true impact is yet to be seen. Tourism officials have estimated for months that 500,000 people to one million people may visit the state. We will see.
On Saturday night, Glenwood Fish Nest posted this on Facebook.
Locals responded they didn't want to deal with crowds, which now may not show in areas that have prepped for months.
State and local officials have repeatedly said they are prepared for whatever happens. Utilities have sent messages to customers about power grids, gas lines and cell service.
With so much preparation and non-stop hype and warnings, a lot of Arkansans have decided to simply hunker until Tuesday. They've filled up their gas tanks in case the state runs out of fuel and bought food. Now they are locked down.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders ramped up people's concerns Friday when she declared a state of emergency.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, acting under the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Arkansas, and pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. §§ 12-75-101, et seq., do hereby declare a state of emergency for this solar eclipse event and direct the sum of $100,000.00 to be obligated from the Governor’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund to be used at the discretion of the Director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management to defray both program and administrative costs.
FURTHERMORE, I hereby declare that a state of emergency exists with respect to commercial carriers transporting essential items of commerce to customers in Arkansas during this emergency, including but not limited to groceries, pharmacy items, medical equipment, goods, commodities, fuel, poultry, livestock, and feed. The state of emergency declared herein shall remain in effect until April 10, 2024.
Many people I've talked to just want it over. They want the traffic gone, and the hoopla over. Many are worried about outdoor animals. Others hate that gas prices have increased. Some just don't give a damn about the eclipse at all.
Conspiracies?
You have:
Occult rituals
Martial law
New World Order
Poison balloons
The Rapture
Some people have even claimed a massive human extinction project will begin. How will we even know if it starts? What are the signs? Will we even know?
Some people I chatted with are not your usual conspiracy theorists, but they have concerns. That makes sense especially in this era when people have little to no trust in the government.
And those glasses
The University of Kentucky sent an alert a few days ago warning that eclipse glasses handed out on campus were “reportedly mislabeled, falsely claiming they had been approved by the American Astronomical Society.”
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has also issued a warning about eclipse glasses based on American Astronomical Society research.
“The American Astronomical Society (AAS) is reporting sightings of counterfeit and fake eclipse glasses; learn how to identify fake eclipse glasses to avoid eye damage,” the BBB site posted.
Great, just great. A new worry. Are the glasses safe? Will you be blind in a couple of weeks? Where were the glasses made?
The eclipse — simply too much stress and hoopla. Is it Tuesday yet?
I’m hoping I can capitalize on the tourists in Lonoke or the citizens that don’t want to deal with it so they order DoorDash.