May Day

"May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor (International Workers' Day). In many countries, it is a national holiday."  (http://www.infoplease.com/)

When I was growing up, we observed May Day by making up little bunches or baskets of flowers.  We would take them to our neighbors' front doors, ring the doorbell, then run away and hide (preferably where we could observe them opening the door, finding the flowers, and looking surprised and puzzled). 

The words "May Day" also bring to mind a distress signal from a ship or aircraft.  May Day is most probably an anglicized version of the French m'aidez (help me) or m'aider (to render help to me).  A May Day distress call is only to be used in case of "grave and imminent danger." (http://www.askyahoo.com/)

While I am not in grave danger, I am sometimes distressed by the speed at which the days fly by.  It seems only a short time ago that I wrote in this blog about February ending much too quickly - and here it is already May.  My sixtieth year seems to be running at an accelerated pace, and I keep wanting to yell "Slow down!"

Stay tuned.