By Jerome Peterson
The exciting disclosure of months and their history continues as May brings us the merriment of Spring. Morning birds will waken us with their song, and church bells will joyfully toll as the longing for reliable warm weather is granted. YES! With that thought churning in the windmills of your mind, how about we create a positive mantra. Alright now people, recite it with me. “The merry month of May. Ommmmm. The merry month of May. Ommmmm.” Feel better? That’s great, because when the problems of life drop their bombs on your skull and explode your comfort zone clear to L.A. and back, a person needs a positive reinforcing reminder that is simple and current with the times--the day times and night times of May, that is.
Make this mantra your own when you rise from sleep and throughout your work and personal time. Put your mark on it; your signature. Maybe even get creative and put the words to a snappy tune so you can whistle it, hum it, or sing it to yourself as you encourage your heart to be merry and quite possibly other weary earthlings to think the same. Recite it in congested traffic when trying to get out of the shopping areas onto Greenly Avenue. Whistle the tune as you get gas wishing for the days when twenty bucks would fill up the tank. Hum it loudly while shopping at Wal-Mart on a Saturday morning, and the store was all out of the albacore tuna that was five cans for a dollar. And finally, sing it at the top of your voice because you definitely will need to when you open this month’s propane bill! “The merry month of May. Ommmmm.”
January was titled as the gateway to new beginnings. Passing through the gateway requires a first step and that step was February’s motto hoping to show kindness and patience leading to productive days. The beat of March marched on carrying us to the bipolar month of April. During that month it was suggested that we open ourselves up like flowers--such as daffodils, tulips, and iris--and extend the imagination in order to understand the nature of things. Phew!
As far as the actual history of this merry month, there isn’t much to write. Sorry. According to “The Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins”, by Robert Hendrickson the month may have been named for “Maia”, the goddess of Spring, or to honor the Maiores, the Roman senate in early times. No one is sure, but the Latin “maius” for the month became our May. Here is a bit of trivia on the month from Hendrickson: “The Romans incidentally thought May was an unlucky month for marriages, for their feast in honor of Bona Dea, the goddess of chastity, was held in the month of May."
This all brings us to May with hands raised saying, “What shall I do! “ Keeping it simple is best. Look for merriment in simple things while reciting the mantra of May. “The merry month of May. Ommmmm.” Besides the obvious, like not breaking the law, watching what makes your pets happy is a good start. Making the boss happy is another one, especially if you disagree with him/her, and you’re on his/her black list. Also, as we know Mother’s Day is in May. Along with calling up the sweet little ol' mum, how about sending her a thank you card and thank her, in writing, for not deciding to abort you, and also thank her for just being your mother. Humans tend to be royal killjoys by not following through and complicating life in explaining and basing their views with excuses, facts, and reality. Well, excuses are like armpits - we all have a couple of them and they smell - facts can be exaggerated and reality is way overrated. Let’s all do this together now. Here we go. “The merry month of May. Ommmmm.”