Dear Humans,

I’m not sure it’s that important that you learn the phases of the moon. I can count on one hand the number of times someone has asked me when the next full moon is. Most adults don’t know what the current moon phase is because it’s not important to our lives.

But the process of learning it is important. The lunar cycle is just a system. It’s a phenomenon that exists because of complex interactions between different parts. And learning that–figuring out the rules that govern a system–is something that you will spend the rest of your life doing.

So we’re practicing. And, when you’re older and look up and see a waning gibbous moon and can explain why it looks like that, you’ll feel the satisfaction of knowing a thing–even if it might not be that important to your life.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt