Solar Eclipse? Thanks. I'll Pass.

Niagara Falls. Canada, 8 April. It seems like all roads lead to Ontario Province for people that are fascinated by the sun. Why? They want to watch the solar eclipse, up close and personal, wearing special glasses to protect their eyes, of course.

Question: What is an eclipse?

Answer: It’s when the sun is covered by the moon.

I Googled it because I had forgotten. We learned it in school and like all ‘education’ the eclipse had nothing to do with our daily life. What is education? It is information forced upon people in order to function effectively in a particular religion, culture or currency. It was the British pound before independence. It’s the U.S. dollar now, because it inherited the British Empire.

I digress. Where was I? Aaah! The sun. We learned about the eclipse in school but it was totally different from home wisdom. Don’t look at the sun my child. You’ll go blind. That is why there are special glasses sun worshippers are going to wear to look at the eclipse in Niagara Falls and America. Believe it or not, the Niagara Falls has dual citizenship. One side is in Canada, the other side in the U.S.

I won’t be watching the eclipse because mama told us not to sleep in the sun, we’ll get sick. Cindy got sick. Who is Cindy? She was one of my managers at my first job in Toronto. She came back from vacation scarred in the face and arms. What happened? Sun burn. Mama wouldn’t understand. Taking a plane to the other side of the world, to lie on the beach, and say to the sun: Burn me! Burn me!

Enjoy the eclipse, but count me out. I’m a simple person, not educated, not sophisticated, but wise enough that I should respect the sun, because it is life. However, it is long distance respect. Dear sun, continue to stay up there, I will respect you down here, but under an umbrella or a tree.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger