On long car trips, I occasionally wax philosophic. I ponder the big questions. Last Monday, as we were speeding along some interstate or other on our way to Nashville, Jim The Husband (AKA Sugar), remarked how it felt like SPRING was in the air, even though it was still cold, and the trees still bare. Something in the air smelled of possibility.
This made me ponder the whole cycle of life thing–new beginnings, things sprouting anew from the dormant womb of Mother Earth…okay, I know, I went around the bend there, but you get the idea. The cyclical nature of the universe captured my imagination. Everything important is round. The Earth, the sun, Godiva hazelnut oysters–okay, they aren’t really round, but they are roundish.
Things go ’round in circles… Everything has a natural beginning and end…
Of course, I went off on a tangent. If everything starts anew in spring, WHY DOESN’T THE NEW YEAR BEGIN ON MARCH 20th?
I asked Sugar about this, but he was busy fiddling with his Blackberry and wasn’t paying good attention just then. He did mutter something about the Mayan calendar actually being more accurate according to some folks
Now THERE’S a thought that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. We haven’t seen the movie yet–it’s in our Netflix queue. But if the previews are any indication, it doesn’t end happily.
Now, you may wonder here if I paid attention in school, or perhaps went to school in one of those Southern districts that gets so much attention in studies and whatnot because children can’t read. The answers are yes, and no, respectively. Any gaps in my education I blame on that bicycle accident when I was eight where I got the bad concussion. It impacted my memory. Some things I simply cannot remember.
Which is why I am so thankful for Google.
For any of the rest of you who suffered head injuries as a child, daydreamed in class, or possibly attended a sub-par school district, January (named for Janus, the Roman god of doors) was not always the first month in the Gregorian calendar. March was, originally. Ha!
It was changed around 450 BC because that’s when counsuls were chosen or some such. (Yes, this is an oversimplification, but y’all can Google for the details if you want them.)
Between politicians monkeying with our calendar because of elections, and springing us forward to save energy, our systems are completely out of balance with nature. It’s no wonder we can’t solve the big problems like HEALTH CARE and WORLD PEACE. We’re fundamentally screwed up.
On a side note, I did get the Tweety Bird Yellow out of my hair.
Peace, out…
Susan
My “new year” always seems to come in the fall, I suppose from the legacy of school beginnings. Or maybe I’m just in a hurry to accomplish something after summer’s party air and before winter’s buzz-kill. But I know what you mean.
Awesome! Glad that’s fixed!
You ponder the big thoughts while I set my head on fire wondering why my margins won’t work right. That’s OK though. Some one has to.
Bob
While pondering on new beginnings, did you come up with a new novel idea?
Sadly, no. But I did have several new ideas for the one I’m working on. 🙂
I, too, suffered head injuries as a child, but never let that stop me from . . . wait a minute . . . what were we talking about?
While you’re searching google for the cycles of nature, I strayed at the “everything important is round” point in your blog. I’m afraid I started singing:
What goes up, must come down
Spinning wheels got to go round
With that running as background music, I enjoyed the history lesson. I have some vague memory of Mayan calendars, but the 6th grade was a LONG time ago.
I absolutely love it when one questions the “why” of something! Great blog…and kudos to “Sugar”, too! As for the politicians monkeying with our calendar, I actually can’t think of anything with which they haven’t monkeyed…hence, the world’s current state of confusion. Don’t get me started…