If the sun shines on Groundhog Day; Half the fuel and half the hay. -American folklore
Good 'ol Punxsutawny Phil, this vermin is a leader, dedicated to coming out of his January slumber with a real commitment to his goals, to building better relationships and being a real stand up Groundhog. As hard as it is to remember what it all stands for, and whether it counts if he sees his shadow because of "news media lights", Groundhog Day is a pretty cool holiday. Our fore fathers left us with explanations that don't really clear things up either, but what we're doing here is simple...dividing two seasons by six weeks based on a shadow... or as was the case this year, no shadow which equates to an early Spring. Either way it’s time to tune up the lawnmower while keeping the snow shovel close at hand. That being said, Groundhog Day is really a chance to re-assess those aggressive resolutions, fire up the goals and press into the new year.
Besides the politicians, also out in force are the Girl Scouts carrying on a tradition that test the resolve of the strictest diet. It’s an unwritten rule that Girl Scout cookies carry the divine exception that allows you to cheat on the “no cookies” resolution. Also, the 35th Annual ShamrockClassic is accepting registrations for its 5k run and walk scheduled for March 12, 2016. This is a River City Runners series event and proceeds go to the Leslie Frye Living with Cancer Memorial Fund at Marietta Community Foundadtion.These organizations provide a little added inspiration to come out of hibernation early.
There are reasons to celebrate Groundhog Day other than it‘s a good kick in the pants to get busy making things better. After all, it's on every calendar, the forecast is no less reliable than your local radio station forecast (ouch!), unlike the Easter Bunny, Phil keeps his dirty paws outside, and as they used to say on the radio “The Shadow Knows”. Hey, if a rodent can bring us an early spring, more power to him, plus the little guy made no Super Bowl predictions; he stuck with the weather. As for the Super Bowl, so comes the end of a season the last real sit around and indulge day, the antithesis of what Punk Phil is all about. And unless your tried and true resolution is to stay in your hole until the Browns win a Super Bowl, it’s time to come out. Shop, walk, buy an extra box of Tag-a-longs and get started on making 2016 better than ever.
