I have written briefly before about the effects of the full moon on our patrons. Those who are unstable for various reasons become more so during the three days of the full moon (day before, day of and day after). Today the moon is full.
Today is also summer solstice, when we have the most daylight hours in the year. This seems to have intensified the effects of the moon. I think every schizophrenic patron who visits us is here today, as well as some who I have never seen before.
The man with the teddy bear is here. He is alternating between speaking and waving. He is excited about something - just feels it in the air, maybe? The man who can't remember his password from one day to the next is here. The young man who unnerves people by staring at them is here - and the two of them are having a conversation. Not much information is being passed, but a lot of goodwill is - smiling and handshaking and asking after personal well-being.
A patron asked us to help look for a strawberry blonde woman with round glasses in the library. A twitchy man at the internet stations overheard. "I like strawberry blondes," he said. "By the way, did you know that methamphetamine production turns the skin red? Even someone in the house while the process is going on is susceptible."
Well, no. I didn't know that. And the connection would be? The solstice/full moon combination, I'm guessing.
One woman is looking for a bank account that was supposedly left to her. People are looking in nonfiction for children's books and Local History materials. Librarians can't find information that is written there clearly on the page.
One man wouldn't turn down the volume on his headset and got kicked out of library. A mentally ill man walked through the security gates, rubbing his hands down them as though he could feel them scanning him. Six or eight babies in the foyer all started crying at once.
I know there's no scientific evidence. But anyone who works a hospital emergency room or police dispatch will tell you:
These incidents make today truly the longest day of the year.
My mom used to work in a geriatric nursing home and the stories she would tell after full-moon nights...I have NEVER doubted the full-moon effect. I haven't noticed it in my library yet, but the night is young...
Posted by: BabelBabe | June 21, 2005 at 03:41 PM
summed up quite beautifully, i might add...
Posted by: deb | June 22, 2005 at 09:47 AM
I have noticed the giddiness in my own psyche and the children here at my library are just LOUD today. Today is of course, not only full moon but Moon Day, year 36!
Posted by: Sarah Louise | July 20, 2005 at 01:24 PM