The period of time before sunset is called “golden hour”. I didn’t know that until 5 minutes ago when I did a google search looking for the word to describe it.
What did we do before internet? I remember the day when I was a pre-teen and the large set of World Book Encyclopedias arrived at our house. My father was an educator. At the time he was the high school principal in our small town. He knew how excited we would be to have so much knowledge at our fingertips. And we were excited!! My siblings and I spent hours those first few days looking up information on many random subjects. Those encyclopedias were very useful when writing essays, working on projects and doing our homework.
It was my father who first told me how to do internet searches, when at first we had to put a plus sign between words: time+before+sunset. He kept that last set up encyclopedias for many years after they became redundant. I think that was partly for sentimental reasons, and partly because he didn’t know what to do with something that was once so valuable.
When my husband was struggling with the effects of a brain tumour we would watch TV together. He could remember seeing actors in different movies, and wanted me to try to fill in the blanks for him so having a laptop handy it was quick and easy to look up the information that was always on the tip of his tongue, just out of reach of his memory.
The “golden hour” in reference to stroke victims is that first hour following a stroke where intervention can often make a difference. Unfortunately my father’s stroke was the more rare kind of hemorrhagic stroke. Even if he hadn’t already suffered in silence for most of the day before being discovered, quicker intervention might not have improved the outcome.
Golden hour also refers to the period of time immediately following an accident, illness or injury where medication or surgery can mean the difference between life and death.
With my iPad, iPhone and computer I can look up current and thorough and often accurate information without having two bookshelves full of encyclopedias that are out-of-date shortly after purchase.
…..one more item for my gratitude journal.
Reflections 