Total Eclipse In Kingston Ontario
And the insights and kindness of a stranger
Airpods in my ear, a hot beverage in hand, I scanned the Lion’s Civic Gardens park for a spot where I would spend my eclipse viewing experience, on the 8th of April. I found a comfortable ledge close to the center of the park, with an optimal viewing point, that had very few people. It was perfect.
I sat down, sipped on my beverage, took in the park’s view and soon got lost in my thoughts as I people-watched. I’ve been to Kingston before, yet anytime I visit, it feels like Harry Porter or Sherlock Holmes is going to pop out from an alleyway. This is especially true when walking through some areas downtown, and it’s not surprising given the city’s rich history in film.
Not long after seating, my inner monologue suggested it was time to quit the anti-social behaviour. So I took off my AirPods and looked around for potential candidates to make my acquaintance. It also had to be low effort. I’m seated and comfortable. I’m not getting up from here in the name of trying to be social. Then I looked to my left, and that’s when I saw her.
She had a friendly smile, a bubbly outlook, and a welcoming stance. My guess was a woman in her mid-50s or 60s. Something about her warm demeanour, or perhaps the convenience of not having to move from where I was, prompted me to say hi! And with a cheerful smile, she responds in kind, “Hello!”.
“Excited for the eclipse?” A weak opening, I know, but it’s all I’ve got at the moment. But she responds cheerfully like I’d asked a novel question. She expresses how excited she is about it, and mentions that the last one she witnessed was in the ‘70s in Ottawa, and this was probably going to be the last one she’d experience. This quickly snowballs into more conversations.
She lights up like the 1st of July, as she talks about parts of her life. She talks about her grandkids whom she loves and adores, and the earlier parts of her life when she travelled around Europe. I’m not surprised by this. She strikes me as a woman who’s adventurous, and just by looking at her, the energy she exudes, you can tell Dorthy was a problem in her heyday. Hell, maybe she still is.
At the moment, the sun looks like someone has taken a bite from the lower right of it. We still have a few minutes before the total eclipse. And so, while we wait, I talk to Dorthy about my snow globe gathering hobby from the cities I visit, and how my mission to expand my collection with one more from Kingston has been futile. She thinks it’s cool and offers to help. She immediately gets on her phone and starts sending out messages to shop owners in the downtown area via Facebook, asking if anyone has snow globes.
“Oh, I know Bobby and Dianne; they’re a delightful couple...” as she typed away on her phone. For the record, she didn’t say those exact names. I’m just making those up because I can’t remember the real ones. But I’m reminded of some advantages of being part of a small tight-knit community, where people know their neighbours, who’s shopping at what grocery store, and show more care towards each other than they would in larger cities. With a population of a little over a hundred thousand as of 2021, Kingston is one of the smaller cities in Canada.
Bobby and Dianne respond promptly but unfortunately, have no snow globes. Dorthy is determined to figure this out, so after some googling, facebooking and whatever else she does on her phone. She finally says, check out Waterfront Gifts & Apparel. If anyone had snow globes, they would. I save the address on Google Maps and then thank her.
Moments before the total eclipse, it suddenly gets chilly, which leaves me both cold and confused. It’s like the Night King is slowly approaching the park. Then I had a realization. It all makes perfect sense. If the rays of the sun no longer hit the earth, we lose a lot of its warmth. The moon has all but overshadowed the sun. You can see the sun’s rays slowly receding into the skies, the crowds standing and exclaiming in anticipation and the volunteers announcing the eclipse is starting.
Finally, the total eclipse is here. Lots of oohs and ahhs as we marvel at the sight. It’s like something from a sci-fi movie. I assure you, photos don’t do it justice and neither does a partial eclipse. Looking straight at it with no glasses on, which is safe to do since it’s not a partial eclipse, it looks like a white ball engulfed in blue flames hanging in the sky. It’s beautiful. At that moment, I’m glad I came down to Kingston. When I eventually take my eyes off the moon, I realize that the place had gone from bright mid-day to night in Kingston. It was both disconcerting and cool to witness.
Soon the sun slowly inches its way out, as the moon heads west. The total eclipse has ended, and it gradually gets bright again. I have to leave, so I’d have enough time to find a snow globe and catch my bus back to Ottawa. I let Dorthy know. She wishes me luck on my snow globe hunt and we exchange goodbyes. We were both grateful for the other’s company.
As soon as I get downtown, I take brisk steps toward the store Dorthy had recommended. My pace quickens as soon as I spot the building behind the parking lot with inscriptions that read Gift & Apparel. A moment later, I’m standing at the entrance. I take a deep breath, exhale, and then step in.
As soon as I get in, I turn to my left to scan the souvenirs on the shelves, and there it is: my precious, a fine Kingston snow globe to add to my collection. I grab it with such resolve you’d think someone was about to snatch it from me. With a smile on my face, and thanking Dorthy under my breath, I make it out of the store after bagging and paying for the snow globe.
Later that day, I’m back on the bus and heading for Ottawa. Zipping past other cars and grass fields, my mind drifts from reality as it reflects on the events of the day. The total eclipse had been an outstanding event to witness, and I was glad to have met Dorthy. Two important things stuck with me after my encounter with her.
First, the kindness she showed a stranger and the genuine interest she took in solving a problem as benign as finding a snow globe was truly admirable. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to make a person’s day, it’s the little things. And if you can, why not? You make them happy and you get the bonus of feeling a little better yourself.
Second, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about some events in her life made it more apparent that as you grow older, much like relationships, your memories become more important. At some point, there’ll be things you just can’t do, and the hope is that when you get there, the list of things you didn’t do, that you wished you had, is short. And you too will light up when something causes you to travel down memory lane, and with a broad smile sweeping across your face, you’ll know, you have lived a full life.
I hope you enjoyed this one. Thanks for stopping by, until next time.
Love this! Dorothy is such a sweet lady. I hope I have half as many good stories to share with a stranger when I’m that age.
Love the images 🌑