Wednesday Noon?

Sunset Tuesday was quite a rattling experience for us, and now the folks on Channel 13 are talking about it on the early news: the Lynn Haven traffic. Leaving home before five o'clock, early and hopeful, we drove from StAndrews to LynnHaven via 11th Street, MLK, 77, 12th Street. The traffic was bumper to bumper stop and go. Heading home a few minutes later, into the blinding setting sun and then south on 77 into the darkness and blinding oncoming car lights, the traffic was horrendous, incredible, and our deteriorated vision debilitating, a nightmare!

At some point driving home, I realized that one reason we couldn't see the road well enough was that all the car's headlights were not on. Linda's car has high headlights that shine down the road a piece, and low headlights (in my younger days they would've been yellow, amber, and would have been called fog-lights), that, when turned on, shine on the road directly in front of the car for good close vision. For some reason the fog-lights were turned off, no dee wonder we couldn't see. So we pulled over, discovered and corrected the lighting problem, and resumed our drive home in the now dark evening, still tense in the heavy traffic and dim octogenarian night-vision. It was unsettling, upsetting, unnerving.

A recent resolve tested and affirmed then: barring emergencies, no more driving after dark, or even near sunset and dusk. I reckon it's part of the gradual surrender to the ravages of aging? We generally start thinking it's bedtime about seven o'clock anyway.

What does it mean to us? For one, no more Wonderful Wednesdays, our social event with church friends, happily and rightly billed as the best event of the week! We'd paused anyway, first for covid and then for the winter as daylight shortened and the drive home was after dark. Now it looks like a settled mandate of sound judgment. No driving after dark. Mr Safety rides again.

What, then? I'm contemplating, just beginning to think on it, mind, maybe just another of my hare-brained thoughts, whether a Wednesday Noon senior event at church might appeal to people? Format? Might have a worship format or not? Might be regular or occasional Eucharist or not? Might begin with the short BCP liturgy for noonday? Might begin in the sanctuary and then move to Battin Hall, or might have the whole thing in Battin Hall? Always provide a light noonday lunch for the togetherness, company, warm friendship we used to share on Wednesday evenings? Might include a brief Bible study or discussion, related to the Bible readings for the upcoming Sunday? Relaxed and informal? For anyone who wanted to come, but especially thinking of seniors who can't or don't come to Wednesday evenings? Or who might enjoy the visiting and company and feeling of friendliness and welcome that they no longer experience on Sundays with everyone rushing in and out as the new normal?

Should we try it for a Time and see if people want to come out? Maybe I'll put it out there and see if I get any feedback.

Or are we getting too far along to get up and out and make the trip? And not driving anymore anyway? Panama City and HNEC are not like Trinity, Apalachicola where nobody lived more than five minutes from the church.

But I could offer it, sponsor it, do it including I'd cover the light lunch, with paper plates, no setup, and no cleanup after.

It's just a thought. I'll see what people think.

RSF&PTL