Star Wars

Note the glare in the upper left corner: That is not the flare of
a flash: It's Old Sol himself.

I know, I know: The title is misleading. A lot of you Chewie fans are probably grinding your teeth in dismay to discover that this is not about the latest Star Wars installment but about an Old Man at war against the sun (a star!) in his favorite coffee shop, The Open Door Coffee Co. in Hudson.

I sit at the same table every day, 7:30-9:30 a.m. more or less, and throughout most of the year the sun is not an issue. Across the street is a sturdy brick building that was a bank when we first moved here (no more), and it does a sturdy job (as it's supposed to!) of sturdily blocking the sun.

But when the equinoxes arrive twice a year (as the autumnal one is about to do), the earth, shifting on its axis, allows the sun to blast my face for a while.

This morning, I timed it. The sun hit my eyes directly at exactly 8:00, and at 8:28 it had risen (i.e., the earth had rotated) enough to be above the frame of the window. Relief!

On most equinoctial days I can cope. Sometimes there are clouds. Sometimes the sun--perhaps feeling some pity--reserves its full glare for more deserving (i.e., evil) souls sitting nearby. But on other mornings--like today--when there are no clouds, no humidity, no haze--it hits me with its full fury, sometimes so fiercely that I have to sit on the other side of the table, back to the window, until the fury fades. And Apollo, in his chariot, smiles with pride and vindictiveness (we no longer believe in him!).

So ... on the scale of human misery what I'm describing is pathetic, wimpy, elitist, etc. I'm worrying about the sun in my face in a coffee shop! Please!

But still ... we do love to whine about our inconveniences, don't we, inconveniences that we can even elevate to Tragedy when we're feeling particularly put upon. (How am I supposed to read with the Granddaddy of Sunlamps Full in My Face?!?!)

I like to think that I'm fairly level-headed, sensitive to the plights of others, humble, etc. (And I rage against those whom I perceive to be more callous, self-centered, arrogant, etc.)

But still ... that damned sun is annoying!

Happy autumnal equinox to y'all! September 23, 4:22 a.m., in our part of the woods.