It is here. The infamous extra day, the birthday dilemma, the mathematical adjustment of time itself that I cannot presume to understand. February 29, 2024. Leap day, leap year. I toyed with the idea of waiting for the actual 29th to release this post but didn’t want to wait. It’s already leap year, and barring the end of time or the rapture we will have leap day in a couple of weeks. So here goes.
I took an informal poll, not scientific in the least. I put the question to my Facebook friends: What phrase comes to mind when you hear the word “leap?” My former statistic professors would cringe at the reliability and validity of such research but at this point in my life, who cares? If you didn’t respond on Facebook, ask yourself now. Just for the heck of it. Then see if I touch on your chosen phrase in this post. The most common answer (18) was pretty obvious: Leap year.
Second to that (15) was Leap Frog. When I followed up asking how many had actually played leapfrog only one person was brave enough to say they tried but were too uncoordinated. Did you know there are official rules for how to play leapfrog? https://www.persil.com/uk/dirt-is-good/games/play-leapfrog-game.html and there is a video demonstration on you tube. https://youtu.be/Hj0JBiknaPg?feature=shared
Google Leapfrog and you will find all kinds of world records- longest leapfrog, fastest leapfrog, most people leaped over in a single bound . . . So much useless information.
There were a few unique responses.
Alice: Over tall buildings with a single bound!
Debra: Someone should take flying leap somewhere
George: Too funny 😂 Leap up to answer the phone
Jalane: Leaping lizards
Raymond: If you feel froggy then leap
Then there’s the one I thought of myself that got just one mention. Perhaps it’s a generational thing, but
Denise said “Giant leap for mankind.”
There were a few responses for
Leap of Faith
and
Quantum Leap
These are the ones I want to elaborate on here. Of course technically these two are not the same thing, yet I believe that one can result in the other. Taking a leap of faith, defined by dictionary.com as an act of believing in or attempting something whose existence or outcome cannot be proved, can result in a quantum leap, defined by Cambridge Dictionary as a great improvement or important developmen in something. Merriam Webster defines quantum leap as an abrupt change, sudden increase, or dramatic advance. They go on to note that quantum leap is rarely used in scientific contexts, but it originated as a synonym of quantum jump, which describes an abrupt transition (as of an electron, an atom, or a molecule) from one discrete energy state to another. Whew, was I glad to read that. I was afraid in researching quantum leap it would get deep into discussions of physics, time travel, universal spiritualism, metaphysical mindfulness or some other gobbledy-gook.
About a year ago I took a leap of faith. A few months after losing my husband of over fifty years I bought a condominium in Florida. I left the area where I’d lived my entire life and moved out of state, not knowing a single soul in my new location. I’d never lived alone, on my own, in my entire life. Over the past year I’ve paid taxes, bought insurance, registered a vehicle, paid bills, bought tires, arranged and paid movers, furnished a home, sold a home, and installed umpteen electronics. These may all sound trivial to many women and men who have lead independent lives, but for me these were monumental. My leap of faith resulted in a quantum leap in my life.
Then there is this . . .
Perhaps that is the reality of my past year. No supernatural quantum leap, just dogged persistence in doing what had to be done. Yet without the leap of faith I chose to take, much of that would have been unnecessary.
So there we have it. A leap of faith, a quantum leap, a leap in the dark, a leap ahead. Leap year is here and leap day is nearly upon us. What will you do with your extra day? Here is one suggestion:
Have you ever taken a leap of faith or experienced a quantum leap? Please share your thoughts in a comment.