I read with horror the Jan. 7 story in The Columbian’s Life section “Experts say dump old, impractical calendar,” regarding the elimination of leap year through calendar reform. I take that personally. Yes, I’m a leap year baby, as is, among others, my last boss — a favorite attorney in town. However, he is four years older.
It’s bad enough seeing your birthday on the calendar only once every four years, but to never see it again is preposterous! It’s like I don’t exist. Not to mention my efforts over the years, honing my skills of milking my unusual birth date for all of its worth — insisting on celebrating both Feb. 28 and March 1.
Learning later in life I was actually born at 11:58 p.m. on Feb. 29, I criticized my mother, not understanding how she couldn’t hang on two more minutes to avoid my misfortune. (It became obvious once I birthed my two daughters.)
Bottom line: bad idea, just to make everyone’s life easier. This year is a landmark birthday for myself. I’ll be 15 and my attorney friend will be 16. Remember, he’s four years older. You do the math.
