That Old Devil Southern Cross

Vince and I located the Southern Cross together in the night sky tonight! The Southern Cross has a special meaning for me - us really - especially when seen from Africa. It reminds me of a special night and the epiphany I had around a campfire in Kenya in 1979.

I was all alone in front of the campfire that night about half way through my month-long trip. My tent mate Triona and the rest of my fellow photo safari mates had all gone to bed and I remained seated in my camp chair, transfixed by the fire completely at peace, while the safari staff cleared away the last of the dinner plates, chairs and tables. I was thinking about my life and where it was going. I had recently moved back to New Jersey after graduating from high school and college and living in Florida for seven years. I had started a new job, my first real “career” job at Bell Telephone Laboratories as a Member of the Technical Staff and had started graduate school for a Master’s Degree in Computer Science. I was trying to adjust to a new social life with new friends and activities, including my now husband/then best friend Vince. I was busy! And like most of us on the eve of the GoGo 80's, I rarely had time or took the opportunity to just "be," have a good long sit and assess my life thus far and figure out where I wanted to go from here.

In Africa at night with no distractions I would have that time. I remember distinctly sitting there staring into space when suddenly the sky seemed to open up and all I could see was the Southern Cross shining brightly ahead of me. All the noise seemed to clear out of my brain and a single thought occurred to me, “What are you waiting for? You are best friends with Vince, you do everything together, you have so much in common, you have the same interests and sense of humor. He is the smartest guy you have ever met (my father excluded of course!) He gets you and appreciates you, he makes you laugh, you never run out of things to talk about and you’ve learned so much from him already. And he even lent you all those expensive Nikon camera lenses for your trip for crissakes. You should marry him!” 

After I came home from safari to New Jersey, I told Vince about my epiphany under the Southern Cross. He concurred with its divine proclamation and we married the following year! Now I have heard Sinatra sing about That Old Devil Moon, but That Old Devil Southern Cross? Luckily, after 33 years I am still under its spell!