This evening we were finishing up the daily crossword and came across a clue none of us knew. The clue was “Serenade the moon”. By process of elimination the word had to be “bay”. We googled it to check the meaning. The full explanation of this is the phrase “Bay at the moon”. If you bay at the moon (or howl at the moon), you waste your time and energy trying to do something which is impossible or trying to get something which you cannot have.
We all like the phrase and decided that we are going to begin to integrate it into our everyday conversations. Though, truly, to bay at the moon has a rather negative and sarcastic tone. It feels that to work it into conversation, would mean someone wants something that is most likely not going to happen, or desires something that probably cannot be attained.
Well, that certainly is a downer, which is unfortunate because the mix of words in the phrase is so great. I love the word ‘bay’ and I, of course, love anything to do with the moon or the word moon. For example, the moonlit bay or moonlight bay. That reminds me of the old Doris Day song:
We were sailing along on Moonlight Bay
We could hear the voices ringing
They seemed to say
“You have stolen her heart
Now don’t go ‘way”
As we sang love’s old sweet song on Moonlight Bay
But this time, the combination of the words bay and moon mean someone is hurting, someone is disappointed.
In my 60 years of living, I have sure been there. Hurt, disappointed, hopeful and then see those hopes dashed.
But I am not alone. Whether we are 90 or 10 and every age between, we are going to face those tough days.
If you think that is not true, well…you may as well bay at the moon.