Planet watching

Not our planet. For an hour or so tonight we waited for clouds to part and the sun to peek through and then dashed over to our friend's telescope to see a small black spot on a bright white circle. Cameras clicked, voices confirmed that we were seeing what we should be seeing: our neighbor in the solar system circling the sun. We marveled at this dot and for me anyway, I forgot about what is going on here on earth. Our kids mixed in with their friend and made new friends under an oak tree where they created a house of sticks, fit for a king squirrel. Even the lake, known for its green glow and distinct fragrance, spread out below us looking crystal clear from the hill. The actual celestial phenomena, the transit of Venus, has happened before in my lifetime. I don't remember it at all. Maybe there were clouds, or maybe we were just too busy, our one summer when both Ryan and I worked in a hospital. But this one I will remember. And whether it is the story of how the transit of Venus helped scientists of long ago understand the bigger world in which we live or if my memories are of the kids gathering sticks and running up and down the hill, this one I will remember. Just a mile away people were gathering to see if history would be made in a recall election of our state's Governor. That didn't happen. And as much as this defeat crushes the work and hopes of many of us, the planet watching helps. Not our planet, just for a moment. But who knows? Maybe there used to be people just like us on Venus watching the night sky until greed and comfort decimated their planet.