I tend to associate days of the week and months of the year with colors. I understand that this is a form of synesthesia which, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a subjective sensation or image of a sense (as of color) other than the one (as of sound) being stimulated.” I don’t know about you, but the word “synesthesia” sounds like a medical condition — kind of like “amnesia” — and at first glance might appear to be a negative thing. Don’t worry, it’s not; in fact, it’s a really common human experience.
I bring this up because when I look at my calendar and see the word “March,” I also “see” green. Not a big stretch, I’ll admit, considering that both the start of spring and St. Patrick’s Day take place this month. It would be easy to find books about green things and link them to celebrations of spring and shamrocks, but my brain doesn’t always take the straightforward path. So, today’s column is a variation on a green theme.
Kermit the Frog used to sing, “It’s not easy being green.” I’m not a frog so I can’t speak to that. But I do know that the word “green” is a wondrous thing, springing up in all sorts of phrases. For instance, a person can be “green with envy,” “green around the gills” or “green as grass” (aka greenhorn). It’s possible to “have a green thumb,” “get the green light” and “go green.” An actor might hang out in a “green room,” and a karate practitioner can earn a “green belt.” In other words, green is versatile and wonderful, and even Kermit decided that being green was a good thing: “I am green and it’ll do fine / It’s beautiful and I think it’s what I wanna be.”
Here’s to all the greens in your life!
