My old man, he always said, look up at the sky, girl. Them constellation plates, they’re up there, shining bright. Ain’t no plates like them regular ones, these are special, in the sky. You know, like them pictures in the stars. He used to point ’em out, but I always forgot which was which.
These constellation plates, they ain’t for eatin’ off, no sir. They’re for lookin’ at. You gotta use your eyes, not your fork! They called constellations, up in the sky, all them stars makin’ pictures. Like connectin’ the dots, you see? One star here, one star there, and bam! You got a picture. Like that hunter fella, or the bear, or whatever they are.

Now, I seen these newfangled things, these computer deals. They say you can find them constellation plates on there, too. They call it “Starry Night” or somethin’. Sounds fancy. Probably easier than tryin’ to remember where they all are in the real sky. I tried to use that thing, but too many buttons, you know?
- Them stars up there, they ain’t movin’ much.
- But these constellation plates, them pictures, they stay the same.
- That’s how you know you found the right one.
- Like, if you see a big dipper, that’s a constellation plate!
I remember this one time, I was lookin’ up, tryin’ to find one of them constellation plates. My neck was gettin’ sore, you know. But then I seen it! It was like a big ol’ pot, with a handle and all. My old man, he called it the Big Dipper. That one’s easy to spot, thank goodness. It is always there, like a big spoon in the sky, to get you some stars.
These young folks, they got it easy. They got these Starry Night things on their phones and what not. They can find them constellation plates with a push of a button. Back in my day, we had to use our eyes! And our necks got real tired, let me tell ya. My neck is not good now, you know. I cannot look up for a long time.
But, there’s somethin’ special about findin’ them constellation plates the old-fashioned way. You look up, you search, you squint your eyes. And when you finally see it, it’s like you discovered somethin’ special. Somethin’ nobody else knows about. It’s like a secret, just between you and the stars. Just like the old time, when I was a little girl.
This “Starry Night” thing, it says it can show you all the names of them constellation plates, too. Like, it’ll tell you that’s Orion, or that’s Ursa Major, or whatever. Sounds helpful, I guess. I always just called ’em “the hunter” or “the big bear.” Easier to remember that way, for me. It is more simple.
They say there’s a bunch of them constellation plates up there. More than you can shake a stick at! And they all got stories, too. My old man, he used to tell me them stories. About how the hunter got up there, and how the bear got its tail. I don’t remember ’em all now, though. It’s been a long time. A very long time. My memory is not good now.

Some folks, they make a big deal outta these constellation plates. They study ’em, write books about ’em, all that. Me, I just like lookin’ at ’em. They’re pretty, you know? Like diamonds scattered across a black blanket. And they make you think, about how big the world is, and how small we are. It is so amazing, right?
- You can see them constellation plates best when it’s real dark.
- Gotta get away from the city lights.
- Out in the country, that’s where you see ’em good.
- Just you, the stars, and maybe a cricket or two.
I reckon it don’t matter how you find them constellation plates. Whether you use your eyes, or a computer, or one of them fancy telescopes. The important thing is that you look up. That you take the time to appreciate the beauty that’s up there. It’s somethin’ special, somethin’ that’s been there for a long, long time. And it’ll be there long after we’re gone, too. Those stars, they don’t care about us. They are just beautiful.
So next time you’re out at night, take a look up. See if you can spot one of them constellation plates. It might just make you smile. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll make you think of my old man, and his stories about the stars. Those stories, they are good. Like the stars, like the constellation plates.