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Something woke me from a sound sleep. It was not a noise as you might expect at 2:45 a.m. Rather, it was a bright light streaming through the partially opened window blinds in the bedroom.
I knew instantly what it was. The moon was in a super mood in that early hour of the day -- or night -- however you look at a.m. times. Earlier I had stood outside and noticed the full moon as it came bounding over the horizon at dark with a hoot owl announcing its arrival.
Seeing it now in all of its splendor, I could not help but smile. How could I be angry at being awakened by something so awesome? I shifted in bed and watched until clouds began to diminish its glow, allowing me to drift back to sleep.
I am fortunate to live far away from city lights. This allows for an ink black sky as a backdrop for the moon, stars and other planets. On those really clear nights as I look heavenward, I envision reaching up and touching the canopy of stars above me.
The fascination with the moon has been a lifelong thing. As a kid, we chased around the summer nights under the moonlit sky, seeking lightning bugs and games of hide and seek even in the dark.
Later, the moon was a proper setting for dates at the drive-in movies or parking under a canopy of trees on a lovers' lane. Many love songs have been written that involve the moon and stars. Movies about space travel, aliens and monsters continue to fascinate and draw us to the theater. I loved watching those boys riding their bikes through the moonlit sky in "E.T."
I am of the generation that witnessed the race to space. Astronauts became household names as the quest to land on the moon became an American dream. And when that became a reality on July 20, 1969, no one was more excited and fascinated by it all than our dad. He woke us up shortly before 11 p.m. that night so we would not miss the live event.
So rubbing sleep from my eyes, I gathered with several siblings around my parents' portable TV in their bedroom to watch that historic moment. I have to admit it was something special to see the Apollo 11 lunar landing.
Then, as if in slow motion, American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped on to the surface of the moon. When he planted the American flag on the surface of the planet, it was eerie and exhilarating at the same time. History was made, and an army of space followers was born among my generation.
Sadly, our space missions have become a fascination only for the very wealthy and not so much a government concern. I'm just glad I was able to witness the best moments when we reached for the moon and touched it. Now that same moon has not lost its brilliance and mystery. I am just happy to find it in my backyard, even if it's at 2:45 in the morning.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.