Good Things Come in Small Packages

January was certainly an exciting month. Donald J. Trump was inaugurated and sworn in as returning in his second term as President to make him our 47th President, his first term, however, was as our 45th President. In doing this Trump is only the second person to ever to do this. Grover Cleveland served as 22nd and then came back to the White House as our 24th president in 1893.
This does not in any way mean that February will be less historical. Remember, good things come in small packages. Despite February being the shortest month of the year, there are many goodies in its store house. The first of them occurred just this last Sunday. It was Groundhog Day and the national weather forecaster known as Punxsutawney Phil showed America why he gets the big bucks. Speaking of big, the 138-year-old rodent looks like he has no problem pounding down all of the groundhog food Punxsutawney has to offer its most celebrated resident.
Of course, we have a celebration of love that could easily turn into a celebration of life if you are an American male who happens to forget Feb. 14th is much more than a Friday this year. If you find yourself ducking as Cupid’s arrows fly, when you stand up you may feel Thor’s hammer or more likely a skillet hitting the back of your head. For more information on this subject, please read next week’s column.
Speaking of presidents, and we were, the third Monday of February is always President’s Day. Originally began to honor George Washington on his birthday, it was changed to include all 47 Presidents. It also serves to consolidate 47 days of the year where if it were bot done on one day, a lot of things would close and people would have 46 more days of vacation. It also happens to be the weekend of the 68th celebration of Whiskey Flats Days in Kernville, CA.
In 1930, on Feb. 18th Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona thought he saw something moving across his Lense. After a lot of time passed and test results were in, Clyde declared that he had discovered our ninth planet. He called it Pluto after the Roman god of the underworld. Clyde’s planet was 4.67 billion miles away from earth and very, very cold. For 70 years is was a planet, but as of 2006 our solar system only has 8 planets. Pluto was declassified because subsequent finds show that it is not as big as Clyde thought it was. Apparently, in the planet world, size does matter. Pluto will forever be known as one of the larger dwarf planets floating in the final frontier.
For some people, an estimated 200 million viewers, February means only one thing. Well, two things if you are an American male, Super Bowl Sunday! This year, the game will be on Feb. 9 for Super Bowl LIX (59). The players have yet to be determined, but fans across the globe are gearing up for kickoff. If you want your product to appear to all of these, willing to spend their money people, all it takes is 7 million dollars and you can have your 30 seconds of fame and possible fortune. You have to spend money to make money, isn’t that what they taught you at those seminars you went to?
February is also American Heart Month where we are encouraged to keep ours beating with exercise and a healthy diet. It also holds Black History Month within its days. We are reminded of the many contributions and sacrifices made by Black Americans over the centuries. Helping all of us in the U.S. to have a deeper appreciation for their bravery and tenacity.
The phenomenon that is not really a mystery known as Leap Year is a February oddity. It only happens every four years, and this is not one of them. February only has 28 days, most of the time. If you were born on the 29th of February in 1965, that mean that you have only had 16 birthdays! You must look pretty great for someone born 60 years ago! You can thank the Romans for that youthful gift. They decided that the year needed to be split up into 12 months, but in order for that to happen, one month had to be less than 30 days, and February was elected to be the short month. Depending on which translation you want to accept, February has two meanings. In the Latin it is defined as, ‘to purify’ and in Old English it is ‘solmonao’ meaning, mud month because at that time of year it so wet and rainy in Britian. The Romans choose the purification definition, seeing how most of the festivities in the month centered around love, and relationships and the bringing on of new life. So, up to you. Put cupid and his cupidoids to work bringing arrows of Valentine love and romance, or you can put a damper on the month as it was with the ancient stick in the muds of pre-middle age Britania. Most of ancient Europe would have sided with the Latins.
Whichever you choose, enjoy the richness and purity and muddiness alike of the second, and shortest month of the year. Merry February!