RABBITS, WRITERS AND PIGS

"Rabbit, Rabbit!"

There.

I said it. First thing this morning, the first day of the month.

And now a hefty portion of good luck shall be bestowed upon me throughout March.

Or so the old English superstition goes.

I first heard about this good luck charm, as it were, back in my early news reporting days. A fellow news hound, Regina Maritote, (Regina, are you out there?) explained it to me while on deadline.

Lord knows I always needed a bit o'luck on deadline...

Anyway, I did a little research (and by research I mean Googled), and a variation of this superstition calls for one to walk backward down a flight of stairs on the first day of the month while saying, "Rabbit, Rabbit".

Oh, those English are a fun-loving group of folks.

Anyway, I cannot recall if good luck came my way or not, but I thought I would give it a whirl this morning (sans walking backward down the steps) seeing as it is March 1...

...which, as it turns out, is World Compliment Day.

Unlike Valentine's Day, there are no greeting cards necessary for one to be involved in World Compliment Day. Just hand out a sincere compliment to someone today. Brighten their lives! Perhaps they will pay that compliment forward, making someone else's day a little happier. Then, before we know it, today might be the happiest day in the whole world!

Lord knows the world could use a bit of happiness...a lot of happiness, actually.

Anyway, do you know what I am happy about today?

It is the first day of the spring session of the 40 Days of Writing challenge! WooHoo!

Back to the keyboard I go, attempting to write something every day for 40 days. I've participated in two of these sessions over the past couple years. It is no small feat.

Which is another reason I uttered, "Rabbit, Rabbit" this morning. I'm a little rusty in the daily writing department. Can use all the luck I can get. Consider today's post my warm-up exercise.

Anyway, during all my Googling this morning on the history of "Rabbit, Rabbit", I learned that today is also National Pig Day. A day set aside each year to celebrate our pink, cloven hoofed pals. Contrary to most first impressions, pigs are very intelligent -- not to mention, social -- creatures. Which is why it is a sin, in my opinion, to raise our country's bacon providers in those nasty, inhumane, corporate confinements. I imagine it's quite depressing for the pigs.

As such, I bet a pig could use a compliment now and then.

For instance, here in rural Iowa, it shouldn't be too hard to find a hog farmer and cheerily offer, "My, that's a good looking pig you've got there! And smart, too!"

So cheers to March 1! A new month! A day to speak complimentary words to brighten someone's day! "Rabbit, Rabbit"! Good luck to all!

And to my 40 Days of Writing group...Welcome Back! I've missed you!