I feel it’s unfair to wait four years to celebrate birthday, says man born on Feb 29th

How many people do you know were born on February 29th like you?

Truth is I don’t know of anyone. I actually have been on the lookout for anyone so as to get to know how the person feels too. However, I got to meet one man one day in London. He is an elderly, American man at andvent in London. When he announced that he was born on February 29th, I said wow! He was the first person that shares the date with me. But we lost contact again after some years. Since then, I’ve been on the lookout for any other person who shares the date. And, somehow, it’s painful because I feel kind of lonely with regards to that. I know there are people like that but I have not met with them.

 

Do you feel any kind of uniqueness or something, do you feel different?

I just feel that it’s not fair for me to have my birthday every four years. Everybody else has their birthdays every year, but me I have to wait for four years. It’s not fair. If it can be changed, I will like it. That is the uniqueness I can infer from it. I always ask ‘why me?’ But I am grateful to God.

 

Did you ever discuss it with your mother or something?

No, because I didn’t think about it by then. But when I turned 20, my cousin who lives in Austria was in the country then and he made me realise what it was. When I was in secondary school, February 29 never crossed my mind. When that cousin of mine, his name is Simeon Nwaoko, came he asked: ‘who is celebrating this year?’ All of us around him were initially confused and he said we should check the calendar. He asked me specifically to check the calendar and then I said ‘I know that my date of birth is 29th February o but I don’t know if I am celebrating or not.’ He said ‘okay, that is what I want to know. You are the one we are waiting for’

I asked him what he meant and he said don’t know that your birthday is not every year? Then it became clear to me that he was passing a message. I said so this is how it is? Since then, it registered in my consciousness that my birthday is not every year. I decided since then that I would be celebrating every four years and that by the grace of God, nothing will stop be stopping me. It was Cousin Simeon that educated all of us on the Leap year thing and how my birthday is every four years. After that he took us out to celebrate my birthday that night and since then, it clicked. So if this is how it is, I’m a special person then.

 

Before it is four years, don’t you feel the urge to celebrate on February 28 and say it is the end of the month all the same, and you can’t wait?

Yes. People said that and urged me to do that. But I realised that on the 28th I was still in my mother’s womb. So, there is no way I can do it on the 28th, it is better I skip it till March 1. So, instead of doing it on the 28th I decided to hold it one day after.