FULL MOON ON THE RISE

Has anyone else noticed that when there is a full moon every wacko seems to feel the need to get behind the wheel of a car? Invariably during a full moon every idiot under the sun (or moon) appears to be on the road.

Sometimes when I'm out running errands or driving to meet someone, I'll notice that other vehicles get way too close to me - almost like there is a magnet attached to the side of my car. Suddenly someone will decide to make a right turn from the left lane without first checking to see if it is clear. Next thing I know drivers are pulling over in front of me (causing me to hit the brakes) to go around some dingdong going 30 in the 45 mile per hour zone.

After about the 3rd or 4th incident, it dawns on me - it must be a full moon or it's fast approaching. And, damned if I'm not right when I check the calendar. I don't know what it is that brings out the crazies when the moon is full. But it certainly does seem that way. I mean, hey, the term lunatic does come from lunar, right?

I decided to do a little Googling to see if anyone else feels that a full moon unleashes all sorts of bizarre behavior. Boy, do they ever! There are all kinds of opinions, articles & studies regarding the full moon's effects on our bodies. I looked at several sources & here's what I found.

The first site began with this statement: "People have theorized for thousands of years that the moon has all kinds of impacts on us. It affects fertility, crime rates, dog attacks, and increases blood loss during surgery. It must be a full moon, they say. Full moon tomorrow night! All the crazies will be out!" 

Another website had a similar thought: "The full moon is a pretty popular scapegoat for bad luck and bizarre behavior. Encounter someone acting strangely? Blame it on the lunar phases! It’s said that crime rates increase and emergency rooms are much busier during the full moon. (Plus, there’s that whole werewolf thing!) Why would this be? The reasoning is that the moon, which affects the ocean’s tides, probably exerts a similar effect on us, because the human body is made mostly of water."

Alright, this was all pretty much what I've concluded over the years & the human body being mostly water theory made perfect sense to me.

BUT then I continued reading: "For years, some who work in police and emergency services (such as doctors and nurses) have anecdotally claimed that full moon nights are busier, crazier, and more dangerous than nights when the moon is dim. This perception may be rooted more in psychology than reality. The facts do not corroborate this viewpoint."

It was the Farmer's Almanac that pretty much blew my theory out of the water: "Science has taken the question of the full moon’s effects seriously enough that there have been a number of studies examining the various claims. Nearly all of them have come up empty, though. All have either found no correlation between the moon and human behavior, or were later debunked by other studies that questioned their methods.

"So why the persistent belief, purportedly even among emergency room personnel and police, in the power of the full moon to bring on crazy behavior? One hypothesis, posed in a 1999 issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders, suggested that sleep deprivation, caused by the brightness of the full moon, might have worsened existing mental disorders. Once electric lights were invented, the authors said, the effect was negated, which is why modern studies have found no correlation."

There you have it. The general consensus is that the full moon has no effect on human behavior. I couldn't find one scientific study that confirms a correlation between the full moon & demented behavior. Hmmmm - I don't know about you, but I'm not buying it.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

Erma Bombeck was a wife, a mother of three & a writer back in the last century who popularized "housewife humor". She penned numerous books & newspaper columns that poked fun at the mishaps, day-to-day tragedies, & occasional heartache that comes with caring for a home & raising a family.

The following thoughts on life were widely & wrongly attributed as being written after she found out she was dying from cancer. While Erma Bombeck was definitely the author, the column was written in 1979, seventeen years prior to her death. For the record, she died from complications following a kidney transplant, not cancer, although she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

It is easy to get caught up in the small, unimportant things in life. Erma Bombeck was a very wise woman who shared profound thoughts with her distinct brand of humor. We would all be well served to take her words to heart - & go light that fancy candle!

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER 

by Erma Bombeck 

Someone asked me the other day if I had my life to live over would I change anything.

My answer was no, but then I thought about it and changed my mind.

If I had my life to live over again I would have waxed less and listened more.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadow over my feet, I'd have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten popcorn in the "good" living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have burnt the pink candle that was sculptured like a rose before it melted while being stored.

I would have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television ... and more while watching real life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband which I took for granted.

I would have eaten less cottage cheese and more ice cream.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the Earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for a day.

I would never have bought ANYTHING just because it was practical/wouldn't show soil/ guaranteed to last a lifetime.

When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now, go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more I love yous ... more I'm sorrys ... more I'm listenings ... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it ... look at it and really see it ... try it on ... live it ... exhaust it ... and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it.