Manic March

Much of Alice in Wonderland is weird, including the Tea-Party. Alice was told there was a hatter and a March hare in the area, both mad. Later she met them both and found the experience to be the craziest party she had ever been to. But why did Lewis Carroll select such characters? Why a mad hatter? That one is easy enough. Hats in those days were partially composed of mercury, and exposure to this element causes jitters and other mental ailments. And the March Hare? I hear it is because hares go into rutting season in March. That's why they get so active and mad in March.

I think it is the same for human beings. This is one of the most active, half-crazed Marches I have been through. I knew it was a long march - it's 31 days long. Whoever marches first into it does it on March 1, and by March 4 everyone is marching forth. Literally.

My church had several activities on March 4, including a dining-out party and a potluck at the church. Toastmasters clubs hold their club and area contests, starting a whirlwind of activities for them. Astronomers go out into the boondooks all night long on their Messier marathons - tonight's the best night for it, but that gibbous moon will hinder the marathon this year. Everyone else schedules activities all over the place. The people at my church are running around like banshees. It's bird migrating season, and all sorts of unusual birds appear. Salamanders come out to mate. Tulips and crocuses come out with their lips and cusses. It indeed seems like the whole world is going mad. It has caused me to call this month "Manic March".

This is unusual for me this year, for March to me has been a month of misfortunes. My father died in March 1999, and I caught a bad sinus infection with fevers throughout March 1993. Actually this March is more normal. A long hard (well, this winter has not exactly been the hardest with the warm temperatures) winter is over, and now spring is springing out all over. It reminds me of the Lydia Adams Davis song, "Spring always takes you by surprise".