The three blue moon events I encountered today

Space enthusiasts and stargazers around the world are excited today to witness a rare celestial spectacle, the Supermoon Blue Moon. Though I must admit that it is something that I was unaware of until today. Without getting into the nitty gritty of what it is, let me tell you that it’s a very rare event. And as you may have guessed, it is the origin of the phrase “once in a blue moon”.

I’m sure you would have easily guessed the first blue moon event, given all the media attention it has garnered. But there are two more blue moon events that I want to tell you about.

Blue moon event # 2: Missing the elusive long weekend

It’s one of those rare days when most people you know are enjoying an extended weekend, but you have to go to work. In my case, it’s because the Indian stock markets are open today since Raksha Bandhan is not a public or national holiday but an optional holiday. The full-holiday feel comes from an extended weekend or long weekend, a once-in-a-blue-moon event where your weekly offs meet with an official holiday.

Blue moon event # 3: Getting a seat on Mumbai local

The most iconic once-in-a-blue moon event for me was getting a seat in Mumbai local on a Monday morning.

Once the British illustrator and poet Edward Lear said: “Henceforth, let the inhabitants of the world be divided into two classes – them as has seen the Taj Mahal; and them as hasn’t.”

I am no Edward Lear but a new Mumbaikar and I can say this with certainty. Mumbai is inhabited by only two types of people: those who have to travel to Dadar daily and those who don't.

I travel daily to Dadar from Mira Road for work and live in the hope of getting a seat on the local train. Today my hope turned into a reality when I got a seat not at the origin but after a few stations had passed. This, to me, is a rare super blue moon event.

This, once-in-a-lifetime event, which any person boarding at Mira Road would know, is far rarer than the Supermoon Blue Moon itself. This is because you can exactly predict when the next blue moon will occur, but can never know when you will experience the joy of getting a seat in a Mumbai local on a Monday morning.