The man in the moon
Looked out of the moon
And this is what he said,
"Tis time that, now I'm getting up,
All babies went to bed."

nursery rhyme

I took a few Astronomy classes this past year, and all of my professors and T.A.'s went on about how beautiful it is, or the face of this man is. Well, I certainly do not disagree that the moon is very beautiful and mystical; however, call me cynical but, I think the face of the man in the moon is not a face of happiness and excitement. To me, it resembles a man whose face is twisted and contorted in wrath and pain. He looks like he is suffering. Not rejoicing. Everytime I glance up at a full moon, and I have some time to look at it, I ponder over and over what exactly that expression is. I also know that the face is nothing more than craters coincidently placed on the moon's surface. That this "face" is also just a mind picture created by the imagination, much like cloud pictures are created. The object isn't really what it appears, yet one sees it as something. Moreover, I don't ponder as to his actual expression; I ponder the idea of it, and what it means that I happen to see it as a negatory implication while others see it relecting happiness. Either way, despite his apparent suffering, I see a serenity that even his pain can't disrupt. What does all of this mean? And what is this man in the moon feeling?

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