by Allan Freidson, guest author

Here we are deep in the heart of February, a month regarded by many sports nuts that sit on that couch with the remote at the ready as the most difficult month of the year. Professional football is over now that the Super Bowl has been played and college football has been missing even longer. To make it more barren, even exhibition baseball doesn’t begin until March. And February is a little too early to get into basketball. As a result this month of sports hell used to get me most unhappy, might I say even a little depressed, but then I decided to go with the “half full” approach and embrace February as a time to show my sensitive side to Susan. Tell me if you think I am on to something.

 

First, February is a time to head to the garden and put some colorful flowers into pots or into the ground if you live in a climate receptive to such things. You know, species like cyclamens that will last and make me look like I know what I am doing. Best I can tell, you can fire the whole chamber into a bunch of cyclamens and not kill even one of them. And since they come in bright red, purple and white, they look good as well. With that accomplished, a little weeding completes the gardening phase. If the weather won’t cooperate, I suppose some indoor flowers and plants will do. Either way, with that done there still remains the matter of lifting off the couch and being agreeable to actually doing something with someone else – your spouse, for example. If ever there is a time to do that it is in February, especially on the 14^th day of the month. Right you are – Valentine’s Day. Where I live that day is regarded as a national holiday; well, perhaps a bit more important than that. I best be prepared to get up, clean up, and at the very least do the roses and dinner bit. Since there are no games to watch, this is not a problem. That is one reason I have come to embrace February. I mean, imagine if this most sacred of days came the following month when I was knee deep into the college basketball tournament known lovingly as “March Madness.” If Valentine’s Day showed up during March Madness, I imagine the conversation going something like this:

 

     Susan: “What do you want to do for Valentine’s Day?”

     Me:       “Uh, honey, Valparaiso vs. Tulsa goes from 4-6, followed by

                    Bowling Green vs. East Carolina.”

     Susan:   “Meaning?”

     Me:      “Meaning this is not a good night to celebrate Valentine’s Day.”

 

Next comes a most uncomfortable silence as I feel the first beads of flop sweat forming on my forehead.

 

See what I mean? Having Valentine’s Day fall in February turns out to be a pretty good deal. And if one must attend the ballet, opera, or do a once over lightly at several of the 9,000 art galleries in Carmel, this is the month because you give up nothing. So if I have sold you on February I have done my job, but one little disclaimer before goodbye. I’m concerned one reading this may find me guilty of some male bonding at the expense of the ladies. This is not my intention as women also are sports fans. They may not have the numbers on their side, but their passion for sports can rival any man. And make no mistake about it, I have known a lady or two who thought the Valentine’s Day fuss was a Hallmark creation they could do without. Of course, let me be powerfully clear that nobody answering to “Susan” and married to me falls into that category. So I salute that day and all of February for being the month he or SHE can mount a comeback from the other eleven months worth of watching and loving those sporting moments.

 

And best of all, even in a leap year February soon will be over and we can let the games begin again.