Given that tomorrow begins the world’s celebration of the Chinese New Year, let us honor the boars in our own lives as we join hands and hearts upon entering The Year of the Boar.

Please note that a “boar” or pig is not necessarily a bore.

That is to say, this year may be boredom to some, but tomorrow it will be “Boardom” for all.

My parents, although not Chinese, probably intended to birth me during the Year of the Boar to make certain that I would not be bored.

Astrologically speaking, in China, the boar or pig represents one of 12 animals that constitute those predictable possible characteristics of human makeup and behavior. The other animals include the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster and dog.

The Chinese, as do other astrological believers, also feel that certain sun signs or moon signs or earth signs are more compatible than others.

For this reason, my Pal, a Sheep Taurus, and I, a Boar MoonChild, enjoy sharing Hot n’ Sour Soup and Mongolian Beef while watching old episodes of “Kung Fu.”

“Does not the pebble upon entering the water also begin fresh journeys, Grasshopper?”

“Master Po, if I worry, will the future change?”

“How come, Grasshopper, your fortune cookie is never in Spanish?”

Knowing that this is my year, and that we are between the birthday celebrations of Honest Abe and I Cannot Tell A Lie George, shall we talk truthfully about truth?

What is truth?

My favorite definition of truth is just three words: That which is.

On the flip side, a non-truth would then be that which is not.

Seems simple to me until we throw human beings into the mix.

And what a blender it is.

While unity does not require uniformity, truth does require understanding.

If one does not understand the truth, how can one recognize it?

Martin Luther wrote: “There is no wisdom save in truth. Truth is everlasting, but our ideas about truth are changeable. Only a little of the first fruits of wisdom, only a few fragments of the boundless heights, breadths and depths of truth, have I been able to gather.”

Sounds like our local news.

Samuel Johnson wrote: “Where secrecy or mystery begins, vice or roguery is not far off.”

Sounds like our local news.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “Every violation of truth is a stab at the health of human society.”

No wonder so many of us are coughing around here.

There’s too much non-truth in our air.

Kipling had a good verse about honesty.

“I had six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew. Their names were Where and What and When and Why and How and Who.”

Speaking of honest men, Winston Churchill, while once visiting President Roosevelt at the White House, had a moment of surprise when the president wheeled himself along to the British premier’s bedroom, opening the door unexpectedly.

Churchill was standing in the middle of the room stark naked and unembarrassed.

“You see, Mr. President,” he said, “we British have nothing to hide.”

Speaking of Presidents, according to a portion of page 571 of “The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes,” “Early in the Revolutionary War, General Washington sent one of his officers to requisition horses from the local landowners. Calling at an old country mansion, the officer was received by the elderly mistress of the house.

“Madam, I have come to claim your horses in the name of the government,’ he began.

‘On whose orders?’ demanded the woman sternly.

‘On the orders of Gen. George Washington, commander in chief of the American army,’ replied the officer.

The old lady smiled.

‘You go back and tell Gen. George Washington that his mother says he cannot have her horses,’ she said.”

Looks like George got it from his mom.

The soon-to-be First Mom couldn’t tell a lie either.

Happy Presidents’ Day and Happy Chinese New Year to all you honest bores, no matter when you were born!