Newmann: Ides (and tides) of March
“March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” — old English proverb.
March is certainly a tempestuous month, known for wild weather swings … and wild swings in general.
The presidential primaries (along with a slew of other primaries) end in March and then the two frontrunners for the nation’s top office start (or, more appropriately, continue) swinging at each other with a bit more urgency. This March marks an exception to that tradition as one candidate has been wildly swinging ever since the end of the last election. Guess we’ll see where all that windmilling winds up down the road.
Meanwhile, that same candidate seems to be having more than his fair share of trouble this month with lawsuits, criminal charges … and with even trying to secure enough cash to cover a rather hefty bond stemming from a civil fraud case. Some folks just have a streak where luck rolls against them. Given his genial disposition, let’s just wish him happy trails. Or trials.
Speaking of disruptions, the early part of March brings about interruptions in our sleep patterns as daylight savings time begins. Waking up in the light of day turns into trying to wake up in the dark. Happily, that inconvenience does not last for long and we can gradually resume sleep normalcy … until it all changes again in November.
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Of course, St. Patrick’s Day also takes place in March. Just a good thing that it’s not during the same weekend as daylight savings time. Hard to imagine the consequences of those two events lining up.
March is also the month of rolling spring breaks. Students of all ages are freed from the constraints of education and then set upon the world for a week or two. Many of their activities are docile, constructive and pleasant. But, in keeping with the vagaries of March, some of the vacationers can be a bit less charming. Of course, in later hindsight, they’ll most likely see their actions as a rite of passage and, possibly, as the tipping point to finally becoming adults. Later on, many of these folks may go on to vote in primary elections.
Happily, the boys of summer also return in March, when the major league baseball season begins. This year, to celebrate the event, the season kicks off in South Korea. Maybe that venue is a nod to the possibility of unpredictable weather in U.S. stadiums in March. Or, more likely, it’s just the recognition of a potential major league market in Asia. Either way, Opening Day brings with it the certainty of tradition … and the knowledge that, with the advent of the spring equinox in mid-March, the bluster of the earlier part of the month may finally be behind us.
On yet another front, March brings one of the greatest disruptors known to sports forecasters: the NCAA basketball tourney. Nowhere else can so many predictions end up in the wastebasket. But the prognostications are secondary to watching the skills — and the rollercoaster of emotions — displayed by the players and the teams, especially during some of the inevitable (and improbable) upsets.
As the frenetic month of March winds down, we’re inching closer to April 1.
Let’s just hope the new month proves to be foolproof.
Tom Newmann splits his time between Edwards and Queenstown, New Zealand. He has been going winter-to-winter since 1986. He was also a journalist in Missoula, Montana, at the Missoulian for quite a few years. Email him at tsnnz12@gmail.com.
