And They Deem it Lunacy

And if they don't, I certainly do. The monthly cycle of the moon affects each of us. It might be the fraying of our last nerve or a dip into depression, but the moon and its cycles touch us in ways we don't always notice readily. The lunar pull magnifies the worst in us.

Of course scientists around the globe are all in agreement that the effects of the full moon aren't in evidence. I don't think they looked in the right places in their studies. The data for the pull of a ripe moon is profoundly obvious.

Ask any cop or emergency room nurse or physician. They'll be the first to tell you that things get busier at a full moon. Scientists eyeballed the murder/rape/suicide rates. They didn't rate the stats on the smaller type incidents nor the rate of them. A full moon, a mid-summer moon, a harvest moon, a blue moon, or even blood on a full moon won't make one commit such a horrific act, but it does make us edgier. No, it simply pushes and pulls us just as with the tides.

Ask any of our wonderful police force about a full moon and the rate of domestic calls. They will be up, and up substantially. There may be no murder but there is more than a touch of mayhem. Someone who has been depressed will find themselves at an all time low. That doesn't mean they will commit suicide for suicide itself is rare enough. The statistics of suicide do not correlate with the millions who are out there suffering and suffering badly. It's just that the shiv that drives their torment is turned another notch and jabbed a little deeper. They cope as they can. Hell, we all do.

As for that emergency room, well, the accident rate is up. People fight but often not to the death, others get clumsy and fall off back porch steps or bikes, and don't forget that swirl of road rage to mix it well with. Blood, pain, breakage, and bad thoughts abound.

I'll bet if the scientists logged the reports of dog bites they'd be up too. It likely would be nothing too deadly, just an increase in business. Cat scratches would be too, if they opted for medical attention. Our domestic pets suffer as we do. If you haven't thought of it, pay attention that next full moon on the interactions with your pets—if you have more than one, they'll likely be at odds. It certainly is at my house with three felines suddenly found spitting and not playing nicely as they routinely do. The fracas is deafening.

I'm sure there are other professions that could provide similar confirmation as the police and hospitals can. I'm of this sure because I work for one. It would be laughable if it weren't so accurate. I work for a phone company and take queries and orders all day long. Does a full moon affect the callers? Oh my yes! From three days prior to nearly three days after the event, you can watch it wax and wane just like the moon. People get itchy, they become abrupt, and moreover, they get downright nasty and hateful. I've been called the worst names I've ever heard during these periods—and I know them all. Rudeness is primary, but the undertone of pure hatefulness follows no matter how appeasing or pleasing you try to be.

I've worked the phone lines for nearly five years now and I know this to be true. Some of my coworkers have done this same job for thirty years and plan time off just during these phases to avoid the unpleasantness. Any of the two hundred and fifty people in my building alone would not say me nay in my conclusions.

So, whether you are a cashier at the local Wal-Mart, the teller at the bank, the oil delivery person, or even ticket-taker at the brightest show on Broadway, you know what I'm talking about.

Once we are aware of the fact, it can be fun to track. Hey, we've got to live with it, so make it fun. A few fellows and I have been known to be conscious of the pull and push forth with that extra smile while we keep a log of our irate callers that we managed to make happy. It doesn't happen often, but we try.

Yes, we deem it lunacy, but that's life and we do have to live it. Awareness is everything. Life should be fun so we can mock the obvious along with the same glaring lapse in science. I'll mark my calendar while you do the same. Remember to try to be especially nice to yourself—others may not be so inclined.

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