The Perils of February 29
Today is February 29, the saddest and loneliest day of the Gregorian calendar. February 29 lives a solitary life. Sure, this dreadful and curious day tries to make friends. Developing a social life, however, is quite a challenge when one only shows up to the party once every four years. Even though the 29th of this month has 28 comrade days in February, this short month is an oddity in its own right. February itself is simply a weird month. As we here at Abnormal Use can attest from our high school days, it’s difficult to find acceptance among your peers when you only associate with other outcasts. Thus, the 29th lives the hard-knock life, to be certain.
On the bright side, lawyers have bickered over the significance of the date, and there has been a surprising amount of jurisprudence generated over leap day. Defense counsel in criminal and civil cases alike have argued that the extra leap year day is not included within the statute of limitations’ calculation of time. Courts all across the country, including New York, Virginia, and Oregon to name a few, have responded to this argument and included the 29th within the meaning of the term “year.” When all else fails, that misfit of misfits, February 29, should take solace under the protective wings of the judiciary.
If February 29 is good enough for our court system, it should be acceptable to us, too, right? So, today, don’t anger yourself each time you mistakenly write “March 1” on your letters. (And by, what are you still doing writing letters by hand? It may be February, but it’s February 2012! This isn’t “Downton Abbey”!) Instead, take a step back and marvel at the synchronization of our calendar with the astronomical year. Who knows? Maybe February 29 will turn out to be a friend after all.