Julie Norris Wilder the owner of of Spiral Circle Bookstore and More, hosted a solar eclipse viewing party. Spiral Circle is located at 750 North Thornton Avenue just north of Colonial in Orlando. The store is actually over 40 years old. Julie and a partner became the new owners when the couple who first ran the place decided to retire. The last time I was at the bookstore was when Julie signed the contract.
Walking up to Spiral Circle I suddenly realized I had for gotten to bring my art stool. I would have to find a seat if I was to sketch for several hours. I walked around inside the store and the place has grown exponentially. The smell of incense filled the air. I realized that I had broken my rule of always masking indoors. Rather than fumble to put it on, I walked outside. Huge vats of polished stones caught my eye. I used to be a true rock hound and used to polish such stones myself using a tumbler in the basement of my childhood home.
People were on the porch of the store looking toward the sky. The eclipse had just started. I found a small side area with several tables. Two women were seated at one table with a large brown mastiff with a black bandage on one of his front legs. He lunged and growled at me. I sat at the other table but the angle wasn’t great to draw from. In a bowl on the table was a shriveled up mass of a plant. One of the staff came out and started talking to me about the pant. He said, once it got water, it would immediately flourish and spring to live as a vibrant green plant. I hope my spirit is as resilient. The women and the huge dog left and I decided that their table had a better vantage point.
One of the staff scanned his cell phone opposite me. When I was well into the sketch a woman approached and asked if I was doing something artistic. I showed her the unfinished sketch and she explained that the eclipse was at it’s peak. I had not looked up since I started sketching. She also pointed out that there were moon shaped patterns in the shadows.
I finally decided I had to get up and look for myself. I asked if anyone could lend me a pair of solar viewing glasses. I looked up and sure enough more that half of the sun was blocked. Other than this intrepid group I don’t think most people noticed since total darkness never happened. It got cooler and the sun was less intense but most were living their back to normal lives.
Julie Wilder was on the porch and I was excited to see her. She told everyone that there would be a total lunar eclipse again in Florida in 20 years on the day after her birthday. You can be sure I am putting that date on my calendar. A friend, Rachelle Lucas, asked if I had sketched at Blog Con. I have indeed sketched at many Blog Cons. She said I had sketched her as she waited to go on stage. I think I found the sketch.
I observed from a distance the group gathered on the porch since for me COVID risk assessment permeates my every thought. It felt good to be among like minded people marveling at a truly historic cosmic event. I saw the eclipse for the briefest of moments, but what mattered most was a brief exchange of ideas and laughter, of meeting new people. I tend to pull away from others whose risk analysis is different than my own. But a hug does have the power to heal. Has COVID eclipsed our everyday lives and moved on? I don’t know. For most it has.
