By Mike Johnson
I owned a “Groundhog Day” flip-clock radio twenty years before it became famous.
I’d seen it on display, while my parents were shopping for shoes at JC Penney, a few weeks before Christmas.
Being a kid, I relentlessly poked parental pressure-points until it appeared under the tree.
I think this was about 1970.
The futuristic sleek design, white color and flipping digits captured me.
It effectively woke me at 3:45 am for many years.
A morning paper route, followed by a day of school, followed by an afternoon paper route, became my Groundhog Day.
Over and over and over.
I have no memory of what happened to that clock radio. Just the memory of owning it.
I’ve spent many hours searching online images to identify the exact model I owned.
I still haven’t found an exact match.
But this photo is as close as I’ve found.
I’ll be purchasing one for sure. I’ll leave it permanently set at 3:45.
I have this psychological defect to find and purchase a duplicate of every meaningful childhood artifact I ever owned.
A shrink would say I’m trying to prove I overcame a difficult childhood.
My office is a shrine to over-compensation.
The Smithsonian of Mike.
Anyway, Margie & I treat Groundhog Day as a top-tier holiday.
Of course, we watch the brilliant movie every February 2nd.
It’s our second-most-watched film behind “Joe vs the Volcano,” which we’ve seen over 100 times.
Watching “Joe” over and over and over inspired us to escape jobs.
We love watching it now because it proves we overcame employment.
Detecting a pattern here?
But back to "Groundhog Day."
There are many situations to love in that movie.
The clarity and security of knowing what’s coming.
The ability to influence, warn or save others.
Gaining the awareness to stop stepping into the same potholes.
Learning that self-growth beats self-indulgence.
Serving others is more fulfilling than serving yourself.
To gain a better mate, become a better person.
And of course, no matter how difficult each incarnation, love wins out in the end.
Over and over and over.
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More:
The Case For Living Tomorrows Today
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