THERE WILL BE BIRTHDAYS

By Dan Miller
February 28 & 29, 2008

There are people among us who go to the polls and vote, before they've even celebrated their 5th birthday.
And their votes are perfectly legal.

Others are getting valid driver's licenses right after their 4th birthday.
These folks would even be eligible to run for president of the U.S. prior to their 9th birthday.

They're the "leaplings"... people born on February 29th, a date that only comes around every four years.
To make their lives simpler, most leaplings -- I'm told -- celebrate pseudo-birthdays on either February 28th or March 1st.
Still, I would imagine, all through their lives there's a lot of tiresome explaining and extra paperwork to deal with.

If you think it's a hassle for them, consider the poor folks born in Sweden on February 30, 1712.
They never got to celebrate a single birthday!
The 30th of February never came around again.
But -- for reasons far too complex for me to comprehend and explain -- there was a February 30th in 1712, at least in Sweden.
Just Google "February 30th" and you'll probably find several explanations about 2/30/1712.

Oh... and let's not forget... there's something extra special (for some) about February 29th.
It's the only day when it's considered perfectly OK for a woman to propose marriage to a man.
Coincidentally, it's also a day that finds many single men mysteriously "out of town" or uncharacteristically "incommunicado."

Anyhow, Happy Birthday to all of you born on February 29th.
I hope it's a wonderful four years.

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