New Beginnings

Last night there was an almost full moon indicating at least to me, the beginning of something great. It was the first time that I had really smiled and felt content in some time, simply by catching a glimpse of this amazing celestial being.

Recently, I watched an NHK World presentation about what people around the globe think about the moon. NHK stands for the Nippon Hoso Kyoukai or in English, the Japanese Broadcast Corporation. I was intrigued by the various perceptions of different cultures regarding what the moon symbolizes to them and it caused me to think about what it might mean to me.

I had honestly never thought about it before other than during the fall and winter months when the days are shorter and the nights longer. For the most part, the moon seemed spooky and conjured up images of Halloween ghosts and goblins in my head. It wasn't until I stood there on the street and really had a good look at it did I realize that it wasn't something to be feared, but something to admire. And on that night, the bright light of the moon was brighter than any of the lights emanating from the buildings and streets of San Francisco. It was simply beautiful.

As an American, I grew up thinking that there was a man in the moon, however, the NHK show reminded me of what the Japanese see there instead. There is a rabbit on the moon with a wooden mallet pounding mochi. I liked their view of the moon better than what I had traditional thought of it.

Needless to say, what I enjoyed about the moon that night was that it was lighting the way down a path towards my new life and I felt completely free. I wasn't afraid any longer.

I found an inexpensive hotel down O'Farrell Street to stay in. It wasn't fancy and in fact it is one of the worst rooms or hotels that I have ever stayed in. But it has a bed and a shower and a nice view of Union Square where I could still see the moon, rising ever so slowly in the sky. Whether it was the man in the moon or the rabbit pounding mochi that got me through the night, I will never know. However, the point is that I did make it through the night and this is the first affirmation that confirmed I am on the right path. I'm not sure where it will lead, but I am learning to be comfortable with uncertainty.