Free day!

“Leap Day a holiday!” 

    This year we each get an extra day. Has to do with the fact that the earth’s journey around the sun takes a little more than 365 days. Six hours more. Don’t ask me why.

    And, don’t ask me how somebody figured it out. The guy probably stuck a couple of sticks in the ground and lined ‘em up with the sun, or looked through a hole in a wall somewhere and figured out how long it took the sun to return to that very spot.

I couldn’t do that, ‘cause I’d forget to go back and check. “Let’s see, did I count yesterday? I’d better mark it down just in case. That’s it, 437 days in a year.” Either that or somebody would kick over my sticks.

While I don’t know how the really smart and persistent person figured out the extra six hours each year, I am going to take his word for it. Most of my days are spent taking somebody’s word for it. – Wow, it took 13 gallons to fill my tank when it is only supposed to hold 11.5. Or, wow, this ice cream has one-third the fat of the regular stuff. Or, I’m buying this pack of wieners, ‘cause it’s “all beef.” I defy anyone to figure out what goes into a wiener.

So, I believe it takes the earth 365 days and six hours to go around the sun, ‘cause everyone else seems to accept it. And, we apparently accept the handling of the extra six hours each year. We just save the hours up for four years and then add an extra day to February. I would’ve recommended we have a December 32, but nobody asked.

Do you know what it means when you get an extra day? It means that this time last year was really yesterday. Ponder that wonderment for awhile. Don’t make me explain it, ‘cause if I think about it too long, I’ll think that today is last year’s tomorrow.

Regardless, I don’t believe there is nearly enough attention paid to Leap Day. An extra day is thrown into the year and nobody seems to give a hoot. At the very least, some authoritative figure – Oprah perhaps – should announce on January 1, 2016, “Okay, this year we all get one extra day. I’m giving everyone a Ford Focus.” That would at least make us more aware.

 As is, unless your birthday falls on Leap Day, you probably don’t even feel the extra day. Some of you may not even be aware that last Wednesday was Leap Day? I’m aware because NOW is last Wednesday for me. Isn’t that cool?

You see, I’m now starting a tradition whereby I write an article every Leap Day. That way, four years from now, if anyone asks what I did last Leap Day (which they always do) I’m going to be able to say, I wrote an article… assuming I’m still alive and I remember to do it. There are a few other ifs, but let’s not dwell.

It’s apparent to me and other right thinking people that Congress should declare every Leap Day a holiday. It happens once every four years, for heaven’s sake! Surely that’s not going to melt the ice cap.

The holiday would give each of us, except those in some service industries – Wal-Mart, Cinemark, Whataburger, The Sheriff’s office… -- a free day to do anything we wanted. Like maybe something we wouldn’t normally do. How fun would that be? Maybe we could exchange Leap Day gifts. China would probably like that.

Granted, four years is not enough time for Congress to agree on making February 29, 2016 a holiday, but perhaps in 2020 we’ll get there. Then again, on December 21 of this year, according to somebody’s interpretation of the Mayan calendar, we’re going to experience some serious global destruction. Biblical proportion type stuff.

Come to think, Leap Day may stave off the apocalypse for a day. Or speed it up a day. I don’t know how anybody figures this stuff out.  

END

To see Mark and Brad's video of World burger, click below.