Man In the Moon- Monday Art Day

Man In the Moon
5x7 Graphite & Watercolor
©BEDeuel/ Bronson Hill Arts

The topic for Monday Art Day is Man In the Moon (www.mondayartday.blogspot.com). There are always 3 things that come to mind whenever I think of the Man In the Moon: Andy Kaufman and REM; Jackie Gleason's face on the moon in the introduction to "The Honeymooners"; and, of course, especially this past month, Neil Armstrong and the moon landing in 1969.

As noted in the blurb with my Monday Art Day posting, I am still- so very many years later- in complete awe of the landing of Apollo 11. The reaching for and the success of conquering the "impossible" was never so clearly presented to the world, to the U.S., to the then-youth of the day.

We may have been tainted by this achievement in feeling that the world was ours to take. Of course, the economy, the expectations and the reality of life rarely make it that easy for us. Few of us have accomplished all the goals we thought we could. Not for lack of trying or working hard for those goals, but often just simply thwarted by unforseen circumstances.

Yet, paradoxically, perhaps we're all the tougher for having witnessed the "impossible" becoming possible. We know that, with the right investment of time and effort, all things can be possible. At least, that's how we were taught to think.

Maybe that's why we never give in and let life roll over us. We can't and we won't.

We can't all be heroes like Neil Armstrong, but we can take a piece of his accomplishments, a piece of his moon, and hold on the hope it represents and continue to strive to succeed.

RIP, Neil. Thank you for all you've given us. Thank you for being the Man in the Moon.