'A different look on life': Regina man shares ups and downs of being born on Feb. 29

A Regina man is sharing the ups and downs of being born on Feb. 29, a day that comes around only every four years.

Warren Smith’s real birthday has only been on the calendar 20 times. He would be celebrating his 80th birthday if he were born on any other calendar date.

He said having a unique birth date has given him an interesting perspective on life.

“I got my drivers licence when I was four. He thought I was 16, then realized I was only four,” Smith said.

To celebrate the significant day, Smith had a home cooked brunch and answered phone calls and texts wishing him well.

Smith also took some time to remember his first official birthdays.

“My mom worked at the Sask. Hotel and when it was my real birthday, the kitchen staff would make real black forest cake and real rum balls,” he said.

Smith does recall various times his birth date has created confusion.

Filling out online forms can sometimes be an issue. People sometimes don’t believe his birthday really is Feb. 29.

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“The frustrating ones are when you fill out a form and you do put in the right birth date. People say, ‘That can’t be right,’ but it is,” he said.

Despite these problems, Smith says he wouldn’t want it any other way.

“There’s one day out of 365 that’s actually your day, and it doesn’t happen very often. It just gives you a different look on life,” he said.