Once In a Lifetime
Read: Psalm 8
When I first heard a near total solar eclipse could be viewed from Michigan last year, I immediate bought a large pack of eclipse glasses, months in advance, in preparation. I even considered traveling to Toledo to see the total eclipse in person, but our family’s work and school schedules wouldn’t allow it. Still, I wanted to be ready for what would potentially be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
As the eclipse date drew nearer, more people were making viewing plans and scrambling to find glasses. I remained relaxed and perhaps even a bit smug knowing I’d long been ready. That feeling lasted until the morning of the eclipse, when I realized the glasses I had purchased months ago were no longer where I thought I had left them. I searched the house for hours and finally gave up just as the sky began to slowly darken outside. While I was thankfully able to run over to a friend’s house a few blocks away to borrow her glasses and catch a glimpse of the sun in its final moments as a small crescent, it felt rushed and frenzied – and truthfully, a bit anti-climatic. I had missed out on the overall experience of the epic event everyone had been talking about.
FOMO is a 21st century acronym that stands for “fear of missing out.” Applicable to more than just missed solar eclipses, FOMO happens to most of us daily. We experience FOMO when we feel compelled to watch that one TV show everyone else seems to be watching, or to buy the status-signaling item everyone else has. Often, FOMO is driven by societal messages or external voices telling us our lives are not enough and that we need something else – something more – to feel truly whole. Other times, I suspect our mortal awareness drives us to take in as much of life as we can, while we can, and we fear missing out on those experiences.
I reflected a little on what drove my FOMO over the eclipse. I think I was pulled toward a desire to break from the mundane and witness a moment of awe. To feel part of something bigger than myself. To feel closer to God. But it occurred to me that moments of awe are not once-in-a-lifetime events. They’re available whenever we behold a sunset, sit with a great piece of art, or absorb beautiful music. It just takes real intention and slowing down to appreciate those moments every day, which can be hard when we are driven by the FOMO-induced pull to stay busy, work harder; do more. Lent is a good reminder to slow down and bring intention and awareness back into our lives for a season. No solar eclipse required.
That said, if anyone is looking to prepare for the next solar eclipse passing through Michigan in 2099, feel free to use my glasses. I eventually found them.
Beth Versical
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