What day is this?

To Catch A Rat

Well. I missed it. I can’t keep up with it all, I suppose. There is so much going on in the world. I just found out that Wednesday, was National Hot Dog Day.

Right off the bat, let’s lay it out there. Some people are highly opposed to hot dogs. They fear the words, “with variety meats” or “with meat by-products.” But other folks, love, love, love them. Albeit, those people are typically under 42 inches tall. But some individuals grow into their love of the dog. Americans eat about 20 billion hot dogs per year. If you wiggle that out in the numbers, that means every American eats 70 hot dogs per year. That’s almost 1 1/2 hot dogs per week. I do not. Actually, I can’t remember the last time I ingested a hot dog.

It is no wonder I missed the National Day.

These days, it seems there are DAYS for everything. This Sunday past, on July 15th, the U.S. celebrated National Ice Cream Day. With sprinkles on top. And who can we thank for this? None other than President Ronald Reagan. He designated the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day (and July as National Ice Cream Month) in 1984.)

He even made it a proclamation. Number 5219 if you want to get down to the brass tacks of it. Old Ronnie wanted to commemorate a treat enjoyed by over 90 percent of the nation’s population and produced by 10% of the nation’s milk supply.

And it is true. We Americans consume more ice cream than any other nation in the world. I do not eat any ice cream.

I missed that National Day too.

But I will tell you. This National Day thing is a busy business. For July 20th, here in the U.S. we should be observing National Pennsylvania Day, National Lollipop Day, and National Moon Day. My dance card is getting fuller by the minute. Fuller? More full. Busy.

And then. For the 21st, you will see National Be Someone Day; National Junk Food Day; National Strawberry Rhubarb Wine Day; and Toss Away the “Could Haves” and “Should Haves” Day.

Whewwwww-eeeee. The 21st! Big Dang Day.

Now here is how I see the 21st playing out for most people. We realize it is National “Be Someone Day,” and most of us…. welll…. are not, and never will be. So we get a little sad about that fact. And then we have the sudden realization: “HEY! It is National Junk Food Day. Things are looking up.” So we turn our attentions to the troughs of Doritos, and Cheetos, and Fritos. Or Ho-Ho’s and Ding Dons and Twinkies. And before we know it, we are trembling, in some corner of the house with orange dust and cream filling all over our faces. We regret the binge and the madness. We want to puke. No. We want to forget. Enter the Strawberry Rhubarb Wine, stage right. One glass isn’t enough to wipe away the Frito Bandito. So the bottle disappears into Neverland. And we drift, into the lulls-of-just-before-the-sleeps. And we are mumbling, repeating, over and over again, “Hey me. It’s not so bad. Just remember, today is National Toss Away the Could-Haves and Should-Haves Day.” We toss them right away.

And it all disappears to the past.

The glimmer appears.

Tomorrow is another day.

The sun WILL come out.

And it will be National Rat Catcher Day. On the 22nd.
No lie. All day long.

============

“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.”
― Sigmund Freud

===========

“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”
― May Sarton

==========

“If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.”
― Émile Zola

===========