Even when I was too young to be dating, much less get married, February 29th (“bissextile day”) was a day when girls were to be avoided. Girls, who were unpredictable and noisy creatures anyway, became puzzlingly aggressive. They weren’t normally allowed to call us on the phone, but on leap days the rules of civil society were suspended. They would try to sit next to me at lunch and talk (about what—we had nothing in common) or pass me notes with flowers and cute animal drawings. We boys banded together protectively, playing touch football or hanging out on the basketball court. Fortunately, there were only one or two such leap days to be endured until I didn’t find females’ attentions to be so unwelcome.
Today girls aren't so reticent, and leap day has lost its significance. That's progress. © 2008 Stephen Yuen
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