I have returned with the second part of the bizarre holidays and in this part it might just get a bit stranger as holidays sometimes remind us that good times are ahead and there can be a holiday for almost anything. So, here goes my personal list of bizarre holidays
6. August 20th “National Radio Day”
As time has passed, radio has become a more frequent avenue of the past. It is seen as something that is there just in case we need it. For example, we may want to know some of the latest news (i.e. if you’re not the reading type or you just prefer it that way). You may also want to be informed from your sports insiders what is going on with your favorite sports team (Go A’s). The radio has given us interviews, informative topics to discuss with friends and family, and in this case we might want to give them there props for what they bring into our lives. It is one of the few mediums that has existed for almost 200 years so let’s celebrate it for what it is. It is important to recognize the efforts that hosts and producers put into the programs that we enjoy listening to. I believe this is one of the few holidays that allows both the listener and DJ to really engage in their endeavors because we enjoy communication and life itself. Go radio and let’s enjoy all the music, talk, and even public service that is provided for us!
5. November 23rd or the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday”
Yes, you knew this one would make into here eventually and boy have I enjoyed this one and hated this one at the same time. I remember after every Thanksgiving my family would get all hyped up for all the deals that were in the ads and on TV. You hear about all the doorbusters on vacuums, clothing, toys, electronics, and strangely enough pet products. The first time I remember shopping on Black Friday for Christmas was in 2004 with my parents and it felt unreal. There were people running around looking at the products that they could still snag at 10 AM. In reality, we were just looking for clothes for ourselves and if we felt a unselfish we would buy something for a relative that we loved immensely (case in point some clothing for my Grandma or my Aunt). It wasn’t that big of a deal but that was my first experience dealing with Black Friday. The next few times however I have dealt with Black Friday on the other side of retail and it has been awesome so far because you really feel motivated to get everything in order and you’re apart of a team that you can lead. I also have been apart of one expedition with a friend where we went to Best Buy and this is where I fell in love with the IPOD Touch and I haven’t looked back since. To put it in simple terms, Black Friday has seen somewhat of a downturn and somewhat of an upturn because you see all the crazy people looking for deals and people that walk away empty handed. Stores have started opening earlier which begs the question if it affecting both the customer and the retail worker on the other side. But, welcome to America where it is a business and an economy.
4. April 10th “National Sibling Day”
Great holiday because my brother is one of my best friends and one of the few people I would consider reliable. This holiday, from what I’ve read, is considered as a national holiday by 20 states and it is good to have this day because we appreciate our siblings much more so. I have learned from my brother that making mistakes is almost always a good thing. You can make the same mistake twice and still find success. He may have messed up in one area of life but he tried his hardest and he found something else. I too have been one heck of a brother to him as I have had his back in the worst situations. I have also been there when the good times have been rolling when we were both set to live in another city and in a different environment where we had little clue as to what to do in terms of how to find friends and form relationships. The truth is we bonded a bit more closely and saw that family will be there first when the good times come along. One of the funnest times I have had with my brother recently was heading to a wrestling show and sitting there soaking all the entertainment that was presented to us and what was most important was that we kept something in common over the years. I also can’t believe that our family keeps growing and I know that one day that I will be able to contribute a cousin to my niece.
3. June 1st “Dare Day”
If I would have known that this holiday existed June 1st, I would have done some kind of dare this day. One of the few dares that I have done was being asked to go up to someone and speak backwards. It was almost like in Star Wars where Yoda would speak with an emphasis on mixing words up and sounding really cool about it. This was known as “deviant for a day” and it was one of the few experiences that I can say was memorable. I can’t say that dares have been proposed to me where they were entirely legal. One of the few that I can remember was going up to someone and asking them if they could give me a dollar or so for a soda at the nearby 7-11. It was something that I saw as weird and unethical. I have also been asked to prank call someone and I really couldn’t do it because I can’t imagine how frustrated the person on the other line is ( I didn’t know the person myself). I can see where the dare would be really funny (i.e. setting Krazy Glue on someone’s luggage, scaring someone, or even asking someone a very inopportune question. The one that sticks out in my mind was when wrestlers in the wrestling business pull ribs on each others and a few of these can get really out of hand. These can include prank calling each other on the road, asking someone to step outside for a fight, and as mentioned earlier super gluing luggage. This is awesome.
2. July 13th “Embrace your geekness day”
When we think of geeks, we think of guys with glasses that have a lot of expertise with computers and technology. This is what this day is about and we should embrace our geekness because we are experts in some way or another in technology. These guys should be embraced because they are the ones that build our computers, put chips inside our technology, and everything else that we are using. Very few times, we never look at how much we are missing by seeing what they are doing and how much we could be doing. Geeks rule man!
1. December 21st “Look on the bright side day”
Apparently, whoever made up this day should be given a pat on the back because being optimistic and looking at the good side of life is very important. Last November, I hung out with my best friend of 20 years and we caught up for 20 minutes or so and it felt really good to see him one more time. However, he considers himself busy and I in fact am also of the belief that people can do with their lives however they please. I have made a vow that even if we don’t see each other regularly, I want to make it a habit to see him and catch up with him every year. It is difficult to have someone else think like you and the best you can do is support their decisions in the long term. As long as he satisfied, then he should be okay himself. I look at the bright side of this by saying that talking to him for a few minutes gives me the reassurance that we will always be friends without much hesitation. I also have recently begun hanging out with a good friend and she is a bit awkward and I am a bit like that as well. I can say that with this holiday, I am given the reality that having her as my friend will give me the confidence I need to find a girlfriend. Little by little, my confidence will begin to grow as I learn how to make friends with women and how to spark conversations. I for one am very excited that this holiday exists and hey we sometimes need to look at the good and bad side of things.
Quote of the week
“If we’re only looking in the mirror we’ll never see ourselves”
Zac Hanson on Scream and be Free
Just Another Day... 