This year when I was home for Christmas one of my brothers remarked on the idea of a 'leap day'. 'Leap Day' is the 29th of February, but what if, one year every four years you could take a 'leap day' any random day you wanted. Just decide the day was too nice for work, or that the evening was too fine to be cut short, and so you declare you are going to 'leap out'. Take this time back for yourself. Not necessarily in gloomy, dark, cold February-- but how about in May? June? October? A whole day, gifted back to yourself. This year our calendar 'leap day' falls on a Wednesday. It seems a waste for something so special to just be another 'hump day', right?
What about retaking that day for ourselves? It's a crazy notion, right?
One of my resolutions this year was to work on my work/life balance. I'm not great at this. I work too much sometimes. I don't take enough time for what I want to do and in the end wind up stressing at half a year gone by and nothing to show for it.
So this year, I'm going to 'leap out'. I don't know when and I don't know where, but one day this year, I am going to reclaim solely for the purposes of well-- 'leaping'. Doing something with my time. Taking back a small corner of the time that I usually waste. I can tell you what, it won't be on a cold February (ok, or unseasonably warm February-- as is the case this year) Day. But, I will blog about what happens when I 'leap out' this year :)
Apparently Leap Days have always been a bit out of time throughout the ages. It used to be believed that on Leap Days the normal societal rules were negated and a woman could ask a man out or for his hand in marriage. Yes, this is where Sadie Hawkins comes in . . .
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| Watch out unmarried men, hordes of ravenous single women are just waiting to propose to you . . . i can't even finish this sentence/thought without cracking up. WTH? |
I love this idea. It's brilliant. Because the day was technically a non-calendar day the normal societal rules didn't apply. Anything goes. This seems to have been really popular around Edwardian times when social and gender roles were very rigid. What I don't like, is the artwork. This idea that woman would ravenously chase down any ol' single man because today is the day they will make him their's. There is something so cloying and desperate about this, that it makes me so sad. The idea of Leap Day proposals is extremely empowering, I hate seeing that message tarnished.
So ladies, if there is a special someone in your life who you want to make a certain proposal to, today is your day. And more power to you!
Yup. I totally have "Freak Out" stuck in my head now. Thank you. ;)
ReplyDeleteI think both Leaping Out and having a day to buck social conventions are fantastic and empowering. And I agree, the air of desperation is ... not cool.
Not cool at all, Edwardians.
I think I'm going to take your plan on as a banner, too, if you don't mind. I like the idea of taking that extra day at some point and just doing what I want with it. I hope that you have a good Leap Day, whenever you take it.
Go for it. I have to credit my brother who came up with the idea. I think it's genius! Let me know what you do on your Leap Day :)
ReplyDeleteNow that's a lovely idea. Kind of like a mental clean-out day. I could definitely use one of those. :)
ReplyDeleteI always want to do this and then wind up chickening out and not. I'm going to write about this on my blog :)
ReplyDelete@Jenny go for it :) You so need to do this :)
ReplyDelete@Amy, doesn't it? I think we all need a mental clean-out day. But a planned one, where something exciting happens :)