Phil's Fifteen Minutes

Last year at this time I was a few counties over from Punxsutawney Phil, leading a worship conference in western Pennsylvania. I was able to witness the hysteria brought on by the Groundhog Day festivities at Gobbler's Knob first-hand, via local cable T.V.. Phil is a rock star, by the way.

Groundhog Day, rooted in a German superstition and started as a small gathering in 1887, is a very serious event in Punxsutawney, PA. Local folks--even thrill-seekers from all over the country--come to witness the spectacle. The event is organized by a group of leaders called "The Inner Circle." The members of this elite group are powerful folks. They dress in 19th-century garb and, again this week, gathered around Phil's house, agitated him until he appeared, and a small child was sure she heard him say, "As I look at the crowd on Gobbler's Knob, many shadows do I see. So six more weeks of winter it must be!"

Anyway, Phil (or some other critter who looks just like him) made a 7:25 AM appearance yesterday morning to give us six more weeks of winter. Hey, the temperature lately is in the mid-sixties--I'll take six more weeks of this balmy Tennessee weather!

After the doughnut carts and coffee venders folded up shop, and the crowds headed home, a tinge of disappointment surly lingered in the hearts of Punxsutawney's citizens. They were in the spotlight once again for fifteen minutes. Now, like Phil, it's time to get back to life as usual.

According to records, Phil's forecast is accurate only about 39% of the time. He fails as a whether man...but who cares?  Groundhog Day organizers expected about 15,000 to 18,000 visitors this year, and that promises to bring a bounty of revenue to Gobbler's Knob.