2008 Woodie Awards
Student relishes odd birthday
Laura Prather
Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: TruLife
Tomorrow, sophomore John Taylor will celebrate his fifth birthday tomorrow.
Taylor is no prodigy or child genius, though. He simply was born on a day that only occurs every four years: Feb. 29, also known as leap year day.
But it wasn't supposed to happen like that. Taylor said he was born two weeks late.
"It was getting to the point where they were about to induce labor, but my mom had her water break," he said. "And at the hospital, in the elevator on the way up, I came out."
Taylor, who was born at 11:53 p.m., said his dad was a little disappointed because he had hoped the birth could wait until midnight on March 1 to avoid confusion.
"I thought it was kind of funny," Taylor said. "I was late but when I decided to get things done, I got it done."
Taylor said that growing up, his birth date, or lack there of, wasn't that unusual to him because he was used to celebrating on one of the surrounding days.
"[My parents] just told me, 'Well, every four years your birthday actually comes, so you're special,'" he said.
Taylor, who actually will be 20 years old, said his parents never picked one day - Feb. 28 or March 1 - to celebrate on each year. Instead, he said they usually waited to see which day was more convenient for them. It could depend on when the days fell during the week and if his friends or family had a specific event planned for one of the days, he said.
Taylor said that when he was much younger, he tried to convince people to celebrate both days so that he could get two sets of presents. He said even now he uses his extraordinary birthday to his benefit.
"I can use it to my advantage to make people come to see me on my birthday," Taylor said. "I'll say, 'It only happens once every four years. What makes you think we'll be friends in four years? You got to see me then.'"
Although he enjoys the occasional years he gets to celebrate on his actual birthday, Taylor said his friends usually make more of it than he does because not many people know someone who has a leap year day birthday. This year his birthday falls on a Friday, and he said he plans to celebrate some that day and more Saturday with close friends.
Taylor is no prodigy or child genius, though. He simply was born on a day that only occurs every four years: Feb. 29, also known as leap year day.
But it wasn't supposed to happen like that. Taylor said he was born two weeks late.
"It was getting to the point where they were about to induce labor, but my mom had her water break," he said. "And at the hospital, in the elevator on the way up, I came out."
Taylor, who was born at 11:53 p.m., said his dad was a little disappointed because he had hoped the birth could wait until midnight on March 1 to avoid confusion.
"I thought it was kind of funny," Taylor said. "I was late but when I decided to get things done, I got it done."
Taylor said that growing up, his birth date, or lack there of, wasn't that unusual to him because he was used to celebrating on one of the surrounding days.
"[My parents] just told me, 'Well, every four years your birthday actually comes, so you're special,'" he said.
Taylor, who actually will be 20 years old, said his parents never picked one day - Feb. 28 or March 1 - to celebrate on each year. Instead, he said they usually waited to see which day was more convenient for them. It could depend on when the days fell during the week and if his friends or family had a specific event planned for one of the days, he said.
Taylor said that when he was much younger, he tried to convince people to celebrate both days so that he could get two sets of presents. He said even now he uses his extraordinary birthday to his benefit.
"I can use it to my advantage to make people come to see me on my birthday," Taylor said. "I'll say, 'It only happens once every four years. What makes you think we'll be friends in four years? You got to see me then.'"
Although he enjoys the occasional years he gets to celebrate on his actual birthday, Taylor said his friends usually make more of it than he does because not many people know someone who has a leap year day birthday. This year his birthday falls on a Friday, and he said he plans to celebrate some that day and more Saturday with close friends.
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