Did you see the full moon last Sunday? Wasn’t it magnificent? I don’t know much about full moons, except that they cause high tides because of the lunar gravitational pull on oceans facing the moon. But that’s not all.

Researchers discovered that during a full moon, people spend 30% less time in deep sleep (known as NREM sleep) and sleep for 20 minutes less than nights without a full moon. Could this explain why people seem a little more loony than usual during full moons? Could 20 minutes less sleep really cause that?

Now don’t get me wrong; this post isn’t meant to be educationally enlightening, as the extent of my knowledge concerning full moons is quite meager. But what I’ve noticed during this once a month event is that people seem more agitated, annoyed and grouchy, to name some not-so-pleasant behavior changes. I can’t blame it on 20 minutes of less sleep, as I myself am lucky to get 5 hours a night, yet I think I’m a rather pleasant person regardless of limited shut-eye. But evidently a full moon actually does wreak havoc on us — the gravitational pull and all that. If it can affect our tides, why can’t it make some of us a little more anxious and irritable?

Anyway, my point is that something unexpected happened last Sunday during our full moon phase. In fact, I thought I was in The Twilight Zone for a while. Why? Well, people I encountered that day seemed extraordinarily kind, thoughtful and considerate. What was happening? It kind of weirded me out, as I’m accustomed to encountering rudeness during a lunar cycle.

The first sign something was amiss was when I drove up to a stop sign and waited for a woman at the stop sign to my left to proceed. Instead, she actually waved me on. And with a smile no less! I spread the joy by waving back as I passed through the intersection. What a nice surprise.

Then, I recently bought my old dog, Callie, a cushy, comfortable dog bed. I know this because I plopped down on it when I brought it home from Costco. In fact, I believe it’s more comfortable than my guest bed. (Sorry, guests.) But Callie, a creature of habit, wasn’t thrilled with it. Instead, this Border Collie mix chose to squeeze herself into a cat bed. So I reluctantly put her old bed back.

On Sunday, as I awkwardly carried that huge bed back into Costco, a man offered me a shopping cart. How kind, right? Once inside, I tried on boots where a lady commented on how nice they looked. Over at the rotisserie chicken, which I get for my dogs, a woman blocked the display with her cart but immediately moved it (without being asked) when she saw a few of us waiting. Now that’s a first.

Then, a waitress at the Vietnamese restaurant where I bought lunch smiled and asked, “How are you today, Janet?” I believe that was another first. Also, if I remember correctly, not one of my 6 cats regurgitated a hairball that day. And I’m quite sure my dog Taffy actually hit the pee pad, and not the hardwood floor, when nature called.

So, by the time that big ole moon appeared high in the sky Sunday night, my opinion about full moons had changed — at least for this month. It sort of spoiled me for the next full moon where I’m anticipating The Twilight Zone returns and sleep deprived people cursed by the gravitational pull are back to being agitated and grouchy.