Forget the Taj Mahal this week. It’s been there for almost 400 years. It will probably be there next Saturday. This day won’t. In fact, the next time my Saturday blog falls on February 29th won’t happen till 2048. So today, let’s do every leapy thing we can think of.
Don’t just get out of bed. Or inch into action. Don’t just make a creep of faith. Or squirm out of your skin. Whatever you do today, do it with both feet pedaling high in the air and waving your cowboy hat. You’ve got the next 208 weeks to plod along the usual way.
There’s a difference between Leap Year Day in America and Leap Year Day here in India. We get to celebrate half a day before you do. (So naa na-na boo-boo on you.)
Okay, so every four years we have to add a day to February. Who figured that out? I suppose Julius Caesar gets the credit by virtue of being in charge of everything in the known world 2,065 years ago. But who actually did the math? I couldn’t figure it out in 2,065 years. Neither could you I’ll bet.
They say realizing there is a problem is half the battle so I’ll give you that part. Let’s say you’re tilling your Tuscan farm and it suddenly strikes you that spring seems to be coming earlier than it did when you were a kid. Would the first thing you’d think of be, “Dang old Etruscan calendar is running slow. I want my money back.”? I’ll bet not.
I’ll even give you all our smartypants 21st Century knowledge so you have a leg up on the astrologers of the day. Of course, that might be more of a hindrance than a help. You’d probably blame global warming and try to convince friends, Romans and countrymen to burn fewer fossil fuels and get yourself torched at the stake (which would be ironic being as you’re kind of a fossil fuel yourself).
Plus, you’d probably be tempted to blurt too many historical fun facts. “Caesar! Beware the Ides of March.” Or “Look what I invented – a printing press!” Or “Anyone wanna ride on my Sherman tank?” Or “Oh yeah? E does too equal MC squared and I’ll prove it to you with this bomb I made.”
Come to think of it, maybe I won’t give you 21st Century knowledge. I don’t trust you.