Lincolnshire, Ill., is a small village — yep, it actually and officially calls itself a village — northwest of Chicago.
One of the “village’s” (I assume) biggest businesses is Quill Corporation which is a subsidiary of Staples. See why I assume it’s one of the biggest corporations in the village of Lincolnshire? I also assume it’s one of the biggest in the villageof Lincolnshire because, according to my Internet research, Quill is one of the largest mail-order office supply retailers in the United States.
But that’s not really my point. That may well be another story, but not this one.
OK.
Onward.
Quill is the company that manufactured my work desk calendar. You know the kind — the roughly 18-inch-by-24-inch flat desk calendar with big boxes set aside for each day of the year to write in reminders about appointments and meetings and such.
OK.
Well, that’s not really my point either. I hate to actually mess up a perfectly good, clean, pristine, even calendar with my messy scribbling so I keep my desk calendar clear of any notes. But again, that may be another story.
OK. Back to my Quill — calendar, that is.
You see, what I really wanted to know when I first started writing this column was this: Why is Benito Juarez’s birthday listed on my big work desk calendar?
Now honestly, how many of you out there have ever celebrated Benito Juarez Day?
I did some research and found that Juarez is revered in Mexico and, from what I learned, he was a great man. He was an important statesman, according to my research, and a liberal reformer. He was the first, and recognized as the only, indigenous leader to serve as president of Mexico — but not in the United States.
Now again, OK. Mexico is a neighbor. So is Canada. And those two countries — those two neighbors — are where many of the “holidays” listed on my calendar originate.
OK. OK. OK.
So, I’m a-guessin’ that’s the reason these holidays are listed — but, really?
How many folks in either Mexico or Canada have these exact desk calendars on their desks with United States holidays on them? After all, my research indicated that Quill was the largest mail-order office supply retailer in the United States — not in Canada or Mexico.
There are many influential and important and accomplished people around the world who should be acknowledged — on a calendar maybe not so much, but still honored in some way. But they are not listed on this calendar!
However, I still don’t understand why Juarez is listed as a special holiday on my desk calendar. For that matter, I equally don’t understand why Administrative Professionals Day or Victoria Day or St. Jean Baptiste or Canada Day are listed either. There are many others, but I hope you get the idea.
Now, keep in mind that the “traditional” U.S. holidays are also listed such as Daylight Savings Time begins. That’s when we turn the clocks forward, but probably more about that next week. St. Patty’s Day (coming up pretty soon now and one holiday I sure wouldn’t want to miss), Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Daylight Savings Time ends, Thanksgiving but, funny, New Year’s Eve isn’t listed even though it’s one of the biggest holidays of the year. But that’s another story.
For that matter, if Quill wanted to list other holidays why are most of the boxes empty? After all, no mention is made of Ethiopia’s International Labour Day on May 1. You can tell it’s a foreign holiday because the world “labor” is spelled “funny.” The Queen’s birthday on June 13 in Australia, except for Western Australia. I wonder if WA has a different desk calendar? The Marshall Islands celebrate Fishermen’s Day on July 1. Where are the Marshall Islands anyway? Tuvalu. Tuvalu? Well, wherever Tuvalu is, even the Tuvaluese or the Tuvaluans or the Tuvalus apparently celebrate the Queen’s birthday on June 13 — still not Western Australia. I wonder why.
Oh dear. The French also celebrate June 13, but not as the Queen’s birthday. Nope. You know the French. Always have to be a tad different. On June 13, the French celebrate “Whit Monday.” I don’t even want to know. I wonder if “Whit” is short for NITWIT? However, the French and the English haven’t always gotten along so well over the years either. So, what did the Queen ever do to the French, I wonder, to rename her birthday as “Whit” day?
Now, also listed on my calendar are the various religious holidays of several denominations and/or religions. I can understand that better than Benito Juarez’s birthday because the U.S. has people from all faiths living here.
But, again, it’s a puzzlement.
Why is Benito Juarez’s birthday listed on my desk calendar?
I wonder if this is a rhetorical question? Or just a stupid one?
Ah ... P.S., I forgot to mention. Benito Juarez’s birthday is on Monday, March 21, this year.
