“Today is International Hit Someone With a Rolled-Up Newspaper Day”.
My mind isn’t what it used to be. There’s a lot more in it; it’s just harder to find what I need. But scattered around inside it are gems of insight, some mine, a lot from other people. There’s also a remarkable amount of what some might consider clutter – stuff I’ve read or heard – including the above quote. It was made by the late broadcaster Paddy O’Byrne, and there is absolutely no value in it other than the fact it is gloriously prescient.
One of Paddy’s ‘things’ on air was to allocate a certain importance to each day. This was done with tongue firmly in cheek. On this particular day he announced at the start of his show that it was International Hit Someone With a Rolled-Up Newspaper Day; except it wasn’t. In those days (a long time ago), dedicated days were few and far between. There was Christmas, Easter and a couple of public holidays and one or two made-up days to keep the greeting card industry busy – Mothers’ Day and, rather unenthusiastically, Fathers’ Day.
Nowadays things are different, every day is some or other day. There are the serious days, normally dedicated to one or other nasty medical condition, such as the recent World TB Day and World Multiple Sclerosis Day, and a whole host of days that respected international organisations such as the United Nations deem worthy of your focus. Some are pretty obvious, such as Wold Press Freedom Day; others – such as World Poetry Day – are, in my opinion, stretching the United Nations’ mandate just a tad; some are silly, like International Day of Happiness; and there are those – such as International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People – that associate the United Nations with violently divisive issues.
But then there are those days that are just arbitrarily created by uninvited, and quite possibly, unwelcome, self-appointed persons and organisations. No one seems to know who they are. Here are some examples that should worry you; and they’re are just in the U.S. and just for the month of June!
But what really crunches my nuts is that these days are often embraced by the media. Radio stations will announce, “Today is International Cleavage Day” – without even questioning the source of the declaration – and create programming content around it. This gives the day credence in the minds of the listener and encourages other organisations to make up their own ridiculous days.
Yep, Paddy my friend, you were way ahead of your time.
If he were still alive, I’m sure he’d agree there’s only one day the world should celebrate: Star Wars Day on May the 4th…be with you.
The Quiet Maverick 