PL8SPK: Zee Trew Meaning uv Grnhog Dai *

ILIKE RODENTS. RODENS SERVUS WEL. SBTRAK THA

LABRATT UND WEWOOD BBE MOR SIK. TKAWAY LEMM-

NGS ANND WEEWOOD LUZE 1UNEEK, ALWAZE HANDIE

META4. IWOODNT EVEN GGO 2DAPARK WITHOUT

SQURLLS DERE 2PLAY WYTHE.

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NVRTHLS, IT8NTEZ 2GET ALLDATT WORKDUP OVER

GRNDHG DDAYE. ITIS DAMOST MINOOR MINORR

HOLIDY OFD YEAR.

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APRFULS IZA BIGR DAE. IT DOES PROMICE DAWOILD

LOTSA TRIXSTR HIJINX. MAIDAY DUZ GIV US DAPOLE.

(ALDO INEVER SAWA MAE POLE NPERSON. DIDYOU?)

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ANNDD ONN 15MARCH EVRY1 DOTH QUOTE

SHKSPIR. GDZUUX! DPOOLMN SEZ, “BWEAR

DE IDES OF MRCH.” STKBRKR TYPES WILB FALLNG

2DAFLOR MOANING “A2BRUTE.”

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BUT GEEE HOGGE DDAYE, ESP HEREIN ELLAYE, LACKS

DRAMMA. WINTR MITE LAST 4AWILE LONGR? OHDARN.

ISUPOZ ICANN TAKE IT--POIFEKT TEMPS, SMOGLSS

SKIEZ--IFIHAV2 . . .

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DATZ HOWE IUSE2 THINKK BOUT FEB2. DEN 1DAY ISPEAK 2A

JUNGIAN ANALIST WHOO DID TELLME ABOUT “DSHADOW.”

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ITZ DAA CREEPIE PARTT WITHIN US. SECRETT.

UNRUHLY. SLIMIE.

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JUNG DDID TEACH 2BHAPPI. WEHAVE TO

FACEIT, RSHADOW. NOTT RUNAWAE LIKA SCARED

OVRSIZE HAMSTR.

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*For PL8SPK translation, please see Page 36. Photographs by Rachel Weill

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The True Meaning of Groundhog Day

I like rodents. Rodents serve us well. Subtract the lab rat and we would be more sick. Take away lemmings and we would lose one unique, always handy metaphor. I wouldn’t even go to the park without squirrels there to play with.

Nevertheless, it ain’t easy to get all that worked up over Groundhog Day. It is the most minor minor holiday of the year.

April Fool’s is a bigger day. It does promise the world lotsa trickster high jinks. May Day does give us the pole. (Although I never saw a May Pole in person. Did you?)

And on March 15th everyone does quote Shakespeare. Gad zooks! The poolman says, “Beware the Ides of March.” Stockbroker types will be falling to the floor moaning, “Et tu Brut.”

But G. Hog Day, especially here in L.A., lacks drama. Winter might last for a while longer? Oh darn. I suppose I can take it--perfect temps, smogless skies--if I have to . . . .

That’s how I used to think about Feb. 2. Then one day I speak to a Jungian analyst who did tell me about “The Shadow.”

It’s the creepy part within us. Secret. Unruly. Slimy.

Jung did teach to be happy. We have to face it, our shadow. Not run away like a scared oversized hamster.