When
Herald Arts & Entertainment Editor Ted Holteen solicited stories
last week from fellow leap-day babies, we didn’t fully appreciate how
rare it was to be born on a day that only comes once every four years.
Turns out the
Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies estimates there are only about
200,000 in the U.S. – of a population of around 313 million. So
it looks like we should be surprised that more than a dozen local
residents responded with leap-day birthday stories. Here’s what they had
to say about their permanent youth: “My
friend Katherine Hobal-Huntsinger is not only a leap-year baby but a
twin!” wrote Emily Lloyd, of Best Cleaning & Disaster Restoration
Services. “Her twin was just in town, and we celebrated their eighth
birthday.”
David P. Smith, Durango city
attorney, wrote, “I did have one somewhat humorous occurrence four years
ago when I hit 64 (read as 16). My son called on the morning of my
birthday and offered to drive me out to the Motor Vehicle Department if I
was interested in taking the driving test and trying to secure a
driver’s license. I turned him down.”
Proud mother, Karen Most, had to share the story of son, Rory Most, vice president at Glass Technology in Bodo Industrial Park. “He
was born just a couple of minutes after midnight – I just couldn’t push
hard enough to keep him from having a birthday only once every four
years!!!”
Mother Debi Craig said her son Brandon Craig was born Feb. 29, 1984, at Community Hospital in Durango.
“My family always crossed out March 1st on all of our calendars at home and wrote in February 29,” she wrote. Tricia Bayless is looking forward to celebrating her “17th” birthday. “It
has always been an interesting conversation piece, and nearly everyone
who has checked my driver’s license has made a comment, even a police
officer a couple of years ago who said I needed a break since I was ‘16’
and just learning to drive,” she wrote.
Kristal K. Phelps said husband Ryan Phelps, funeral director for Hood Mortuary, will be 9.
“Our daughter is excited that in two more years she will be the same age as her dad,” she wrote.
Michael
Lubin, a proud member of Seniors Outdoors, said he’s looking forward to
passing an age his contemporaries scarcely remember. “I’ll be celebrating my 16th quadrennial birthday tomorrow, and I’m very happy to be almost an old geezer,” he wrote.
Bev
Moore wanted to wish a happy birthday to her husband, John Moore, who
turns 17 – still too young to have a beer at the party planned by
friends and family. Gina Mansell, born Feb. 29 1964, also is still a minor, as is Jack Mayberry, born Feb. 29, 1960. John Garman will be skiing at Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort on his “10th” birthday.
Kyle Littrell, an employee at XTO Energy Inc., will be celebrating the same milestone.
Durango
High School graduate Amanda Marx, at 20, is the baby of our leap-day
group, followed by Robby Hofman, who is turning 24 in non-leap years. And let’s not forget Lupita Dosch, 56, Connie H. Tucson, 48, Doug Reynolds, 36, and Mark Anderson, 64.
To all those enjoying a rare birthday celebration today, may your happiness linger for another four years.
http://durangoherald.com/article/20120229/NEWS01/702299875/-1/s