Leap Year

     This year is a leap year! It's pretty common knowledge as to why leap years exist--science and calendars didn't quite line up.  A year is actually 365.25 days long (actually, 265.242190). That fraction of a day has to go somewhere.  After four years, a quarter of a day at the end of each year is basically an entire day. So February gets an extra day every four years to even everything out.  Clearly, it's more scientific than that, but that's the gist.
     Leap Year is also a 2010 movie starring Amy Adams where she goes to Ireland on Leap Day to win magical powers. I forgot the movie existed until I Googled leap year and it popped up. Why was it released in 2010, which was not a leap year? Why was it released at all? Also, further IMDb searches reveal that there was another movie titled Leap Year also released in 2010. It's unclear if this movie took place during a leap year, or on a leap day, or if it's about frogs or Amy Adam's magical powers.
     I'm being sarcastic about the magical powers, but leap years seem magical to a certain degree. Leap years are the years of Summer Olympics and presidential elections. They're full of hope, promise, ambition, and sweat. Sweet presidential sweat.
    After February 29th passes and we're done thinking about the poor people born on that day--are they lucky to be unique or cursed to be freaks?--the thoughts of the extra time starts to fade. Subway will probably do some soul searching.  Did they realize there would be extra day during Februany? Any footlong sub for $5 for an extra day! They might've lost their shirts.
     The leap day in February makes the month seem more hopeful and less dreary.  February by itself is not great.  It's right in the middle of winter; the year isn't new anymore and spring looks so far away. What is there to look forward to? In a leap year, there's the leap day--an entire extra day; a gift of time! Hope is restored.