A Post-Modernist Discussion of Time

August 21, 2013

During our "Getting to Know Us" activities this year, I asked the students in my class if any of them have a birthday that falls on a holiday.  One of the boys raised his hand and asked if Leap Year Day counted.

M:  Seriously?  Leap Year?  That's awesome!  How old are you? Like four?

K:  Yeah.  Four.  But seventeen.

B:  Wait!  How is that possible? Wait!  I don't even understand!  How do you celebrate your birthday?  Do you celebrate your birthday?

K:  I have cake.  I pretty much celebrate it whenever I want.

B:  You mean you could make it today?  That's awesome!

Me:  He probably celebrates it on the 28th of February or the 1st of March--somewhere around there.

M:  So...what does it say on your driver's license?  Does it say that you're four, or does it say you're seventeen?  That's so weird!

(For those of you who might be wondering, there's no age on the license...it's just the year of birth.....)

B:  Okay, but how many days behind us are you?  Since you don't get the 29th every year?  How many less days are you than everyone else?

Me:  He's not behind you in days!  He has the same number of days as all the rest of you!  He's been in existence for all the same days the rest of you have.

B:  No, but he didn't get his birthdays, and the rest of us did!  So he missed those days.

M:  (head in her hands) I'm still trying to wrap my brain around all this....

I'm in for an interesting year with this class!