Published: February 29, 2008 10:07 am         

Goshen native enjoys leap-year birthdays

For Michael Bailey, the phrase “young at heart” has taken on a whole new meaning.

“I’m 15 years old, and I have six grandchildren,” Bailey said with a laugh.

Born in Goshen on Feb. 29, 1948, Bailey is included among that small group of people who have a leap year birthday — that special day that only comes around once every four years.

“The earth rotates around the sun at about 365 and a quarter days a year, so a year is actually a little longer than 365 days,” Bailey said. “To make up for the difference, it was adjusted by adding one day every four years, and that’s where you get the leap year.”

Technically Bailey is 60 years old, but in leap year terms, he is still a teenager, something he says leads to all sorts of interesting situations.

“Well, my son and I were seven years old at the same time, and my daughter was twice my age when I was technically twice her age,” Bailey said. “Also, my grandson and I will be 16 years old at the same time.”

A 1966 graduate of Goshen High School, Bailey also claims he is the youngest person to ever have graduated from the school.

“I was four and a half,” he said with a chuckle.

As for what it’s like to have a leap year birthday, Bailey said that with so few birthdays to celebrate, when one does come around, he and his wife make it a celebration to remember.

“Generally my wife and I make a special trip somewhere in the world to celebrate,” Bailey said. “We just got back from Mexico. We’ve covered all the Hawaiian islands — it’s really just any excuse to have a party.”

While his leap year bashes are always the biggest and most elaborate, Bailey said he does celebrate a birthday every year, although usually to a much lesser degree.

“The other three years we kind of have a thing we do around the 28th of February or the 1st of March,” Bailey said. “Nobody really knows if my birthday is closer to the 28th or the 1st — it gets kind of confusing — so my wife has to make two cakes.”

Two cakes and exciting trips aside, when asked if given the chance he would take a normal birthday over a leap year birthday, Bailey hesitated, but just for a moment.

“No, I think I’d just take what I got. You only have a one in 1,460 chance of being born on this day anyway,” Bailey said with a laugh. “I’ll be eternally young.”

Bailey currently lives in Oregon with his wife, Susan. They have four grown children.