Crazy Science Teacher Made Most Bizarre Prediction 50 Years Ago — His Students Never Expected It to Come True
You've probably heard the old saying, "promises were made to be broken." How many of us have pinky swore with a childhood friend that we'll always be besties no matter what? Only to grow up and grow apart.
Sometimes our promises may be ever sillier. Like the good old "wedding pact." You know, when two friends promise each other: "If we're not married in 30 years, we'll get married"? How many times has that happened? Probably never (but if it has happened, please submit your story to sienna.aquilini@goalcast.com)!!
But sometimes, it really is the strangest promises that come true. And for science teacher Patrick Moriarty, when he made this bizarre promise to his class of 1978, he was going to make damn sure it came true.
He Made Them an Offer They Couldn’t Refuse... But May Just Forget
Two of Mr. Moriarty's students pose with their yearbook from 1982.WHAM via CNN / Video
Nearly 50 years ago, in Upstate New York, Patrick Moriarty was only beginning his teaching career. He was just 22 years old and he was all hands on deck when it came to shaping the leaders of tomorrow. In fact, "looking into the future" was something Mr. Moriarty was pretty good at.
As the story goes, one day the science teacher handed his class a worksheet which outlined the earth's solar system, demonstrating to his students how all the complicated stars and constellations and planets in the sky are miraculously connected. Of course, his students were fascinated by the wonder of the great unknown. I mean, what kid doesn't love space — or at least, Star Wars? Then, in the middle of his lesson, Mr. Moriarty had a passing observation...that would shockingly come full circle nearly half a century later — literally.
"I said to the kids, 'Hey, why don't you just go ahead and circle that eclipse and we'll get together,' and after I did that, I did that for the next 16 years with all of my classes that I taught Earth science to."
- Patrick Moriarty
One of the worksheets he handed out showed that in April 2024 (almost 50 years into the future), a once-in-a-lifetime scientific event would take place. There would be a solar eclipse passing over their small town. It was right then and there Mr. Moriarty had a passing thought, that turned into a long con plan. He swore that in 50 years, they would all get together again, and watch the spectacular solar eclipse, side by side.
His junior high students were convinced he was joking. They played along letting him know they "couldn't wait." Then as it does, time passed. The school year ended. His students grew up. And the world changed drastically, but what was written in the stars never changed.
But Mr. Moriarty was no ordinary teacher. He was a man with a plan, armed with a passion for science and a heart of gold. He distributed worksheets showing the paths of upcoming eclipses, circling the one they'd see in 2024.
man holding a yearbookWHAM via CNN / Video
Decades later, Mr. Moriarty's promise seemed like a distant memory, an old story that might never see the light of day again. After all, his former students had scattered far and wide, building careers, families, and lives that were miles away from their junior high classroom. Yet, despite the distance, the spirit of the original promise lingered in the back of Moriarty's mind.
In the age of social media, he had a new tool to track down his former students. With a single Facebook post, Mr. Moriarty invited his old class to a gathering at his Rochester, New York, home to watch the eclipse. It was a long shot — who would remember a promise made so long ago?
But to his surprise, the notifications began to pour in. Former students from across the country responded with excitement. A simple Facebook event, born from a half-century-old worksheet, had the power to rekindle the sense of wonder that once filled his classroom.
Over 100 Students Showed up to Complete the “Longest Homework Assignment in History”
Black and white photos from school yearbookWHAM via CNN / Video
When the big day finally arrived, Mr. Moriarty's driveway was buzzing with energy. Former students, some now in their 50s and 60s, gathered together to keep the promise alive. They came with their families, their stories, and even their yearbooks, ready to catch up and reminisce about the good old days.
“When teachers go into education, they hope that they can be that kind of teacher that would have an impact on people and make a difference for people. And this event right here just firmed it up for me that I guess I did okay.”
- Patrick Moriarty, The Washington Post
Mr. Moriarty, now in his late 60s, could hardly believe his eyes. Over 100 people showed up, eager to complete what they jokingly called "the longest homework assignment in history." For some, it was a trip down memory lane, while for others, it was a chance to reconnect with friends they hadn't seen in decades.
As the sky darkened and the eclipse reached its peak, everyone grew quiet, lost in the moment. Even though clouds obscured the eclipse, it didn't matter. What mattered was that they were together, keeping the promise alive.
The Real Lesson Could Never Be “Eclipsed”
Patrick Moriarty (center, blue shirt) and a group of his former students watched the solar eclipse together on Monday in New York.Caitlin Moriarty Hynick
The eclipse itself was incredible, but it was just the backdrop for something far more meaningful. For Mr. Moriarty, the real magic was in the connections made that day — the stories shared, the laughs had, and the memories relived. It was a reminder that a simple promise made in a junior high classroom could bring people together decades later.
The gathering proved that a teacher's influence can last a lifetime. The bond between Mr. Moriarty and his students was stronger than the sun, moon, and stars combined. It was a celebration of friendship, loyalty, and the enduring impact a teacher can have on the lives of their students.
"The eclipse itself … took a back seat to what this was all about. The eclipse was my catalyst more than anything.” - Patrick Moriarty
As the day came to a close, Mr. Moriarty couldn't help but feel grateful. Not just for the eclipse, but for the people who made it all worthwhile. It was a lesson that even the biggest promises can be kept if you believe in them enough. This was one promise that could never be eclipsed.
You Are Love: Reclaiming the Force and Beauty of Your Vulnerability
The truth of love lies in its purity and limitlessness. Love in its highest octave is a surging wave of strength; an undisguised energy that wears no masks, sees no barriers, and runs toward a call of need while everything else runs away. This is the love that is finely woven within us all. Every cell of our being is forged with a deep-seated urge to feel and give love, from our birth to death. Love shapes our entire spiritual and physical design; it is undeniable and fortuitous -- a chemistry of hope, creativity, acceptance and great passion.
Love illustrates to us the depth of who we are at our most fragile yet fearless. Love says that we are stronger and not weaker through her light. We can only love others with the same fibres of love that we have nurtured heroically from within, and so our love for self inspires us to love others with the same wholeheartedness. Hearts connect through an open dialogue of truth and authenticity, and we can only ask of love no more or less than we are first willing to give.
You Are Love: Reclaiming the Force and Beauty of Your Vulnerability
Love uncovers what fear attempts to hide away. Its essence resides in the distinct openness and giving space of our vulnerability -- the site of our most intrinsic strength. When we deny our vulnerability, we forsake ourselves. When we hide from love, we ultimately mask ourselves, and in that same obscurity inadvertently suppress all our gifts and inner treasures. Love needs an illuminating nakedness, a total stripping away of every fearful layer and veil of faintheartedness. How can we ask that love wraps us in her arms when we do not at first dare to expose her from our own darkness and fear to be seen? When we reveal ourselves to love, love unconditionally shows up.
The mechanics of our heart
Our hearts are configured to our own electro-magnetic rhythm and resonance. Hearts collide, feel and connect through an honest and tenacious exchange of higher love. Some may say that to love so openly is to show weakness, yet the infinite depth of a boundless love is the greatest measure of strength. Our elemental fragility is a bestowal we all carry -- it is the trademark of our humanity. When we shut down that inner brilliance as if it were a broken piece of our heart's engine, we lock ourselves out of life and every worthwhile experience that stems from it.
A locked out heart does not take chances, fight for dreams, or breathe in the wonders of living. Life essentially comes to a half-hearted halt. Fear casts an anxious shadow over our heart-space while love beams its amorous rays, and trust guides us through while suspicion keeps us asking questions. When we realize the capacity of our heart's true call, then we gain an idea of our vital inner strength and unique impression on all that we touch... and all that has the courage to touch us back.
Attachments to past wounds and old hurts
We deny our heart when we hold on to past wounds and the specters of old pain, some of which we may have never really recovered from. That inner pain erects another layer over the source of our vulnerability; it creates a sharper edge over what was once softer and imbued with love. The fears that we all feel at being exposed arise like scaffolding from the base of our being and cut right through the center of our heart. We allow fears and old ghosts to set up home in our space that was always intended as love's abundant abode.
We lose the truth of love when we encourage what has hurt us to overstay its welcome. When we cling to historic pain, it only tightens its grip on our heart. Our pain does not need our protection, it simply needs our love. When we patiently sift through inner anguish and weeping wounds, we can direct them to an exit point of rest and release. We move back to the nakedness of our soul when we can begin to peel back each layer of upset from every sword that left its mark. Liberating old wounds helps us find a pathway back to our heart's true north.
Being a heart-led human
Our mind will always channel fear and foreboding into our mind-space as a means of protection from us disclosing too much of our heart. Yet to refind the reality of love, we can swim towards an openness that we experienced before we felt heartbreak, betrayal, manipulation, and emotional weariness. We can reach that place of valiant vulnerability when we revert back to the loving intention we hold within; one that is resilient and mighty; electric and compelling.
We find revelation when we strip back our fears and tainted illusions. We are guided by our heart-led compass when we consciously rediscover each part of our intuitive tenderness. It is the love within us that flows like water, breathes in the newest air, and embraces each nuance and seemingly imperfect part of who we are. To know love, we must first be love -- unafraid, devoted and assured.
The beauty of vulnerability
As adventure-driven children, we innately knew love's value, and loved fearlessly, with our hearts wide open. We understood that its magic is free and expansive, with an all-consuming yearning that remains tucked away within us all; our fine blueprint.
Search for the blueprint by first acknowledging that it exists. We redefine love by being the most authentic expression and mirror of it -- propelled from within, with a velvety warmth that is intensely strong, yet exquisitely soft.
For more inspirational messages, check out theselove quotes