Birthdays, holidays, special events
Don Coldsmith, Syndicated Columnist
Originally published 02:36 p.m., January 28, 2008
Updated 02:36 p.m., January 28, 2008
I’ve been impressed since I started school with the astonishing number of birthdays of presidents, inventors, creative people of all sorts who will have birthdays in the next few weeks.
When I was in “grade school,” some of the important things we were expected to learn were the dates of birth of the more famous of our presidents. Their pictures hung on the wall behind the teacher’s desk and we were expected to learn the birth date of each, along with basic information about their accomplishments.
It was always a mystery to me that several of these presidents were born in February. It originally attracted my attention because my birthday comes in February, too. No, I’ve never aspired to seek elective office. (Ever notice that an outgoing president’s hair is always white? Many of them started with dark hair when they took office. But that’s another subject). Back to our topic.
A great many mammals are born able to walk, run and keep up with the other members of the tribe, herd, pack or any other designated social structure.
Not humans, who don’t mature for years. Some mature younger than others. (Some don’t mature at all, come to think about it. But, I digress.)
The human baby, through history, needs as good a chance as possible. Most of its abilities are just pending. It must nurse for food (soon learned) and cry for attention. It can soon cling to Mama. That’s about it, for a few months. Oh, yes, they are able to produce fluids, especially at inconvenient moments or circumstances, as a rule.
Compare that to the offspring of a “herd” animal, who hits the ground and within a few hours can walk, trot, run or swim, (or all of the above.) They can identify “Mama” out of a large herd of mamas.
By contrast, a human baby is pretty helpless. Most of its abilities are just pending. It can look around. We’re not really sure what it sees. It nurses for food, yells for attention and clings pretty well to Mama. That’s about it. It will be a few weeks before it can do much beyond those activities mentioned above.
Before long they will have identified their source of food and will have identified the parental functions of the mother, needed for their survival.
I started this column to express a theory explaining why so many successful people have been born in February. I suppose it could be nothing but a coincidence that the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln occur in February. That indicates conception nine months previously, which puts that activity in the month of May.
Well, think about it. Romance — we’ve emerged from a long, tough winter and the world is beautiful again. Flowers bloom, birds are nesting, small mammals are being born — rabbits (you know how THEY are), baby chicks, ducklings, kittens, puppies. Humans, too, appreciate the return.
And, the hearts of humans are turned to such things as romance.
See you down the road.
Author and columnist Don Coldsmith lives in Emporia.