In addition to James Taylor’s advice about “the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time,” one needs a purpose or reason to live. Courtesy of a post on Facebook, the contribution of several friends, and the Oracle of Google, I have now added two new reasons to continue to enjoy life.
One is a term, Perigee-Syzygy and the other a new “tentative” goal, December 6, 2052, What is Perigee-syzygy you might ask, as I did when I saw it?
It is an astronomical term for the more pedestrian and non-technical, ”supermoon.” Like a Shakespearean phrase, it dances on your tongue and brings back memories of childhood rhymes.
It refers to the Earth-Moon-Sun System and the closet approach of the moon. It has a cousin phrase, apogee-syzygy. Equally enjoyable.
When I first saw the term on a Facebook post, my reaction was the writer, my good friend Dr. Jane Auger, was being flippant about the moon. Expressing a commentary on the avalanche of hype over such events.
I should have known better. I could not have been more wrong. Some quick research and I was now the proud holder of a new term and addition to the language of the voices in my head,
Mea Culpa, Dr. Auger, how could I ever have doubted you?
Accompanying the Facebook post, was a comment by another longtime friend, Gail (Smiley) Shirley. Gail asked if Jane was referring to a song by an artist called Victoria Vox. Ms. Vox, on her album (do they even call them albums anymore?), When the Night Unravels, performs a song called “Supermoon” and uses the term Perigee Syzygy in the lyrics.
Once again, to the Oracle of Google went I and, lo and behold, I now have a new addition to my music collection. Ms. Vox has a fantastic voice. Thank you, Ms. Shirley.
Now to the date, December 6, 2052. In researching perigee-syzygy I discovered that the moon’s closest approach of this century will occur on, you guessed it, December 6, 2052. I will be 96 years old on that date. 96 years, 4 months, and 11 days.
My goal, an entirely attainable one, is to experience that perigee-syzygy.
Dr. Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neuro-psychiatrist, survived the Holocaust. He went on to develop Logotherapy and Existential Therapy and wrote several books. One book, about his experiences in the camps and how human beings survived, is called Man’s Search for Meaning.
I first read the book in high school and have reread it several times. He also wrote Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning, an expansion of the first book. In a nutshell, Frankl discovered that humans can survive anything if they have a reason to live. Even the horrors of the death camps cannot overcome the will to live.
So, courtesy of friends once again, I now have another reason to live. I hope all my friends can also enjoy the 2052 perigee-syzygy.
One caveat, I consider the date December 6, 2052, a minimum goal. I see no reason to let myself leave this mortal coil at such a delicate age.
