Star light star bright

Vega has shifted in the last 30 years. But then, I guess I have, too. 

She was the first star out a few nights ago, as I sat on the deck. I was pretty sure it was her, so I opened my Sky Guide app (if you like star gazing at all, it's an absolute must-have). And there she was, nearly as I remembered her. 

Vega and I go way back. 

In college, even as a journalism major, I had to take a bunch of general ed credits, including six science credits. I chose astronomy. Loved it. Took the next level of it. Loved that, too. The math kicked my ass, but I actually regretted not being able to become an astronomer. (If I could go back to my sixth-grade self, I'd tell her to suck it up and take every math and science class offered. Be a STEM girl before it was cool. But I digress.)

My astronomy professor told us about Vega. It's a star directly overhead in summer in our latitude. Our solar system is heading in its direction. I always thought that was cool. We aren't just floating in space. We are hurtling headlong toward Vega!

I'm sure I learned many other fascinating things about stars and planets. I even got a telescope from my mom as a gift one year, because I enjoyed astronomy so much. 

But most of it's forgotten now. Too many revolutions of the planet have gone by. 

When I spied "Vega," the other night, I wasn't completely sure. I opened my Sky Guide app, pointed it overhead and was pleased to see Vega in the sky line up perfectly with Vega in the app. 

She's a little off center now, no longer directly overhead. But 30 years will do that. I'm not the same person I was 30 years ago. Aspects of me, yes. Maybe I'm more of who I really am now. Me, but off center. Like Vega — I'm ok with that.