I think it all started with Mother’s Day.
It seems like just about every week there is a special day honoring a profession, group or person. In May, there’s National Teachers Day. In April, there’s Administrative Professionals Day. (Don’t call it Secretaries Day.) Not to be outdone, just this week, on October 16, there was Boss’s Day. (Probably the best gift you can give them is to do your job and get to work on time.) You can remember your special love on Valentine’s Day on February 14; or not, on Single Awareness Day, which appropriately follows on February 15. (You may get the opportunity to celebrate that one if you forget February 14.) There’s a Newspaper Carrier Day in September, and even a Lefthander’s Day in August.
I have a theory about the reason for all of these “special” days. The greeting card companies, restaurants and florists saw how successful and profitable Mother’s Day was for them. They decided we needed more “special” days where people would feel obligated to buy meals, flowers and send a card.
But I’m sure there are some people who feel left out. There was never a special day for my previous profession. I can’t understand why there was never a Tax Collector’s Day. I’m sure there are others who feel just as left out as I did. So, I’d like to propose a few more “special” days to add to the already crowded calendar. I’m sure Hallmark, the restaurants and florists won’t object.
The first additional day is Friendly Fast Food Workers Day. The word, “friendly,” is important, because I have run across a few unfriendly ones in the past. This day is not for them. But that is not the case with a great majority of those who work at fast food restaurants I come into contact with here in Clinton.
Next is Local Businesses Who Give Back to the Community Day. (I know the title is too long, but it’s the best I can do right now.) It seems like, whatever the cause or need, there are always some local businesses that step up and help out. You see their name as a sponsor at a charity golf tournament. They buy tickets and sponsorships for fundraisers. They are out front financially, and with their leadership, working to help meet the needs of the community. They are involved because they live here. In contrast, I’ve noticed that companies and businesses that are not locally based are sometimes not as willing to get involved with local charitable needs.
Finally, I propose as a special day, Underappreciated and Underpaid Public Servant Day. (This will not include any politician who works in Washington.) I’m talking about the local government employee who hopes that maybe he or she will get a cost of living pay increase, if they are lucky. They are caught in between an expanding demand for government services and the funds to pay for them. They may be law enforcement out on the front lines, or an employee out providing public services on a cold and rainy day. They may be an employee sitting behind a desk, dealing with a more demanding public and an ever increasing mound of paperwork, which, by the way, was supposed to become paperless because of computers. Teachers are included with this group, even though they already have their own day.
Well, the above groups and individuals will probably not ever get a special day in their honor. They may think what they do never gets noticed or appreciated. But it is noticed and it is appreciated. What they do adds to the fabric of the community in which we live in a positive way. Thank you. And so you don’t forget, Hallmark wants to remind
you that October 19th is National New Friends Day. So go out and make a friend, so you can celebrate. Oh yeah, and buy them a card.