February After Groundhog Day

The Day the Music Died, 3 February 1959 

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.

 Check out Trav’s post: Gone much too soon, 50 years ago

Mr. Groundhog has done his thing and the result, no matter how you read it, is that Spring is on its way. May the Natural Cycles of the Earth be praised! because I am weary of the cold, snow, ice, dark sky and housebound cat!

But there is much more to February than nasty winter weather and the legend of the hog that lives beneath ground. There are:

BIRTHDAYS

Two of our grandest Presidents of these here United States were born in February: 

Abraham Lincoln: February 12, 1809

George Washington: February 22, 1732 

I know of two notable bloggers born in February (if you know of others, please let me know):

The delightfully inquisitive Debra Pasquella of Let Me Go On and On: February 4^th

The singular MATT-MAN of Bagwine Ruminations: February 7^th

And, of course, there is (drum roll):

ME, Sometimes Saintly Nick of Nick’s Bytes: February 14^th

I have two ex-relatives and an ex-friend also born in February. In light of the wise adage,  If you can’t say anything good about someone then say nothing at all, I’ll say no more about them.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Or, perhaps it need no longer be Black History Month. Rochelle Riley, Free Press Columnist, has a very interesting proposal for this February. She writes, in part:

I propose that, from this day forward, we stop telling the tale of two Americas and instead document and celebrate the full and storied, multicultural and multidimensional story that is America in all of its colors, geographies and passions, in all of its ups, downs and exhortations…

I propose that this February, we become not an America of black or white or Hispanic or Asian but an America of black and white and Hispanic and Asian, an America where each of those heritages is a mandatory part of school curriculums…

Today, in honor of black history, which is American history, I propose that Black History Month be no more.

I strongly recommend that we all read Ms. Riley’s proposals in her column entitled Now's the time to end Black History Month and consider, as she suggests, that this Black History Month, 139 years after Congress granted black men the right to vote, 89 years after Congress granted women the right to vote, we can vote to no longer be a fragmented nation.

AND, OF COURSE, THERE IS ...

As one who was born on Valentine’s Day—I shall speak in a later post about the joys and pains of being born on the day that, supposedly, Bishop Valentine was decapitated—the day of flowers, candy, cards, etc. centered on love is central to my thoughts during the month of February. As you may suspect from my aside in the previous sentence, my thoughts on Saint Valentine’s Day ain’t always joyful thoughts. 

So, that’s my introduction to the month of February, 2009. I shall touch on those themes as the shortest month of the year continues.

For now, your mission—if you agree to accept it—is to wish Deb a happy birthday tomorrow and Matt-Man a happy birthday next Saturday.

Peace, ya’ll!