THE CURMUDGEON CHRONICLE - #255

THE CURMUDGEON CHRONICLE ©

AN IRREVERENT VIEW


Time Line: February 1, 2009
Date Line: Flemington New Jersey

It is here again: Groundhog Day will be celebrated on February 2nd in the US and Canada. While it doesn’t have the cachet of a Super Bowl party, Groundhog Day is spiritually uplifting and proves there is no fool like your neighbor in Punxatawny PA.

Chronicle readers know that I consider the Day to be the finest of holidays. Each year I try to add a historical crumb or personal anecdote to show my gratitude to the animal that predicts future weather with the accuracy of a Nostradamus or Farmer’s Almanac. This year I confess the reason for my dedication to February 2nd.

“How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” is, (to my knowledge), the first time a groundhog was referenced on the big screen. The protagonist’s boss, an alumnus of Old Ivy, champions the Chipmunks (OI’s team) whose arch rivals are the Groundhogs.

Ever a believer in fair play, I found myself waiting for someone to defend the Groundhogs… to no avail. Superman and Spiderman were busy saving the planet, and filthy job though it is, someone had to protect the groundhogs. Enter the Curmudgeon Chronicle.

It isn’t easy to find reasons to love a 40 lb rodent with knife-like incisors and the disposition of T Rex with arthritis, but one must try to fulfill a commitment to fairness. (The obligation that does not apply to politicians, stock swindlers, investment bankers, or securities rating agencies).

Considering the reasons the Chronicle has found over the years, it is easy to believe Groundhog Day is the ultimate holiday. Remember the following?

…no one gets the blues if the family isn’t together on Groundhog Day
…it is nondenominational and requires no blessings or sermon

…no suicidal moods result from Groundhog Day memories

…you can wear what you like and celebrate as you please

…the featured animal doesn’t get eaten, it goes back to sleep

…Punxatawnians make fools of themselves for our viewing pleasure

…it does not interfere with anything you had planned for the day

…if you forget to celebrate it, no one notices or cares, and

…the weather will be what it is, no matter what an obese rodent
does about his hibernating nap time.

If there is anything you would like to add, keep it to yourself until February 2nd, 2010. We will need a laugh next year if the economy stays as sluggish as Punxatawny Phil.

Howard Stamer