In the old days, New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas were the holidays of note listed on each calendar.
In recent times, holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, along with religious/ethnic observances of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Chanukah, Passover, and Kwanzaa began to be listed as well.
Now, there is almost no day on a yearly calendar that isn’t dedicated to observing and/or honoring some special group or event.
This week we have Earth Day and National Administrative Professionals Day. Now, before you think I am dismissing the importance of recognizing either of those honorees, Mother Earth and administrative assistants (formerly termed secretaries, a much more romantic but I agree more sexist title as well), here’s my deal.
It can be argued (and I’ve done so here often) that we have become so consumed by singling out every possible category for recognition, whether it be a job or vocation, an event or person crucial to an event, that we are basically on holiday overload and have become blase about the significance of each.
As far as Earth Day, there is no doubt that calling attention to our environment has become very important, as more human discoveries in science and manufacturing contribute new substances into the atmosphere, changing the natural balance and not always for the better.
But consider yesterday’s honorees: National Secretaries Week. Oops, no, it’s Professional Secretaries Week. Wait, I meant to say Administrative Professionals Week. It’s not that the hard work and talents needed to be a good secretary, I mean administrative professional, aren’t laudable.
When I was in high school, my friend’s father worked for Illinois Bell, precursor to AT&T. He arranged for the two of us to go downtown to the phone company’s massive offices and spend a day learning how to operate a telephone switchboard. By lunch, after being completely overwhelmed by the huge jumble of cables with different-colored tips and a massive board with slots to plug in those cables to connect the call, we both were plotting how to ditch the afternoon lesson and cruise downtown instead.

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