As we debated over whether or not to allow the kids to skip school for the eclipse, I waxed on about my memories of the 1979 total eclipse in Springfield, Illinois. Why was LAUSD issuing such scary warnings about going blind if you dared look at the sun? Why wasn't this being grasped as an educational experience for all? Why can't I get the '70's back? I recall standing alone on the side of my house as the world turned gray and I looked up into the sky at the blotted out sun. A memory I would not forget nearly 40 years later. I tried dismissing the LA experience as perhaps not worth it since we were not in the path of totality. But my 9 year old self kept tugging at my shirtsleeve. Ok, I'll see what I can find at the Silver Lake Meadow. Maybe someone will let me borrow their glasses. What I found was everyone I knew, including my kid, basking in a communal experience of awe. I think I might remember this too when I'm 85.