Area shines as locals, tourists enjoy total solar eclipse

Who says there are no national holidays in August?

Suffice to say, this past Monday was not your typical Monday. As all are probably aware, the sun disappeared for a minute or two. It was the much-anticipated eclipse day, and it did not disappoint.

While the sun and the moon played their parts to perfection, so did many others. The promised darkness was an opportunity for the local area to shine, and shine it did.

While many may have become numb to the hype surrounding this rare, natural phenomenon, we believe the respect accorded was proper and fitting, and the plans well-executed. Opportunities abounded throughout the area for a pleasurable viewing experience and celebration, with events catering to children to senior citizens. The gatherings allowed for a sharing of the experience, both unifying and educating. Nearly all of us can say we know something about eclipses today that we didn't know a year ago. Our vocabulary has been expanded to include "TOTALITY."

Events held throughout the region, from a festival in Perryville, to a gathering of about 3,000 at the Sports Plex in Cape Girardeau, to smaller public gatherings in towns like Chaffee enhanced the experience with music and food. Out-of-state license plates not normally seen, such as Texas and Michigan, could be seen around town, and some of the eclipse viewers even traveled from overseas. We hope they noted this as a friendly and caring community that was prepared. Certainly, organizations like the Cape Girardeau CVB did their job. For many, the gatherings helped alleviate safety concerns. Free glasses were widely distributed and safety reminders and prompts were helpful. An awareness about hydration and the availability of water on a hot day was among the wise preparations.

One of the biggest gatherings occurred at Houck Stadium, where Southeast Missouri State hosted an event attended by 17 school districts from around Southeast Missouri. It was a well-orchestrated day by Southeast, which seized the opportunity to educate the public on multiple levels. It included safe viewing, telescopes, live-viewing on TV screens, fun and games for students who arrived by bus loads for the eclipse and a timely presentation by world-renowned physicist Michio Kaku that evening at the Show Me Center, watched by more than 3,000.

The gatherings were an option. Some preferred the experience in more subdued, private settings, observing the nuances.

No matter, we're sure you will remember where you were Aug. 21, 2017. It's a day most all of us will look back upon fondly.

Which reminds us, a big shoutout to the show's Producer and Director. We were all captivated and astounded by the wonders of God's creation. The view was pretty spectacular from this particular spot on planet Earth.

And we're all counting our lucky stars and moons. We get to experience it again in 2024. Hopefully everything will work out as smoothly as it did in 2017.