Clearly Your Day, My Day, and All of Our Days - Women’s Campaign Fund
October raced to a close with the much ballyhooed holiday Halloween bursting in its always childlike eagerness. It was the day we could all be whomever or whatever we wished. We needed no rationale to justify what we wore and, perhaps, what we ate or how we acted.
It’s interesting how easily all of the different costumes mingled. That diversity in choice and attitude align toward shared goals — treats (and perhaps some tricks), family and friends embracing a night of smiles.
We like that theory. A common goal helps us all to see the value in “the more the merrier” approach; each Halloween we marvel at and applaud the diversity and the creativity.
Let’s keep that spirit — pun intended — going. As we face unprecedented fractures in society, it’s imperative that we find remaining common ground to build upon and to change the momentum away from further division.
Counting the days
We need to find ways to cross over to each other and remember what we share and what we can explore together. A host of days of celebration give us the chance to learn easily about topics that may be less familiar to us and help us discover that — yes — we actually like many of the same things.
“Ideas that on the surface seem to clash can actually co-exist in harmony.”
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October offered a panoply of national days to celebrate, often in areas that contradicted each other. This transitional month between summer and fall is resplendent not just in the tapestry of fall colors on the trees but in the tapestry of national “days” of recognition that we celebrate.
Ideas that on the surface seem to clash can actually co-exist in harmony. The lovers of Butterfly and Hummingbird Day can simultaneously celebrate with laughter on National Mean Girls Day. Generally speaking, no shudders course through the veins of enthusiasts of National Vegetarian Day, consuming their energy as they warily eye the motivated supporters of National Pierogi Day.
Does it make sense that World No Alcohol Day is followed by World Vodka Day? Or that National Oatmeal Day comes right before Candy Corn Day?
Yes, to show they can. You can see mischievous October at work.
We do not see these as clashes but as opportunities; these different days of celebration give us the chance to learn easily about topics that may be less familiar to us. No division is too great.
Crossing the aisle
Just as we mingled happily on Halloween and asked curious, non-threatening questions about someone else’s costume, we can cross the aisle and listen to people championing causes and positions that seem diametrically opposed to our own.
We can find common ground in many areas of community, then eventually, step forward to more challenging issues of politics, the economy, climate, civil rights, war and peace.
Another day calling for sharing and new taste is National Pasta Day; almost all of us in various food camps can find some pasta to delight our palette and recommend to others.
Discovery, not division. October’s days gave us the way to go forward. So, even now, let’s use National New Friends Day, to cross that aisle and give meaning to National Be Nice Day and be “all in” together on National Chocolate Day.
We are serious. Try it. We can find the things where we agree and listen to learn new things to share. We are not feeding you a bunch of bologna — even though our fellow Americans did celebrate National Bologna Day just last week.
Women’s Campaign Fund
