HOW DO YOU PUNCTUATE PRESIDENTS DAY?
(AND DOES IT MATTER?)
one of the challenges
of today – as I have noted before – is sorting out just what we’re observing.
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| Presidential Portraits Mount Rushmore National Monument |
And how the day is punctuated –
Presidents Day …
President’s Day …
Presidents’ Day …
– doesn’t help much.
Let’s check the
advertisements. Auto sales, furniture sales, all manner of goods get
“presidential’ treatment in the post-Valentine’s Day (similar punctuation
challenge but not an “official” holiday so I’ll pass that discussion by) chunk
of February.
Uh, oh: Punctuating
the word “presidents” in the BIG SALE headlines is as varied, inconsistent and
illogical as can be.
So, with no help there --
Let’s check the
history books. If you’re old enough (and I am) you’ll recall a time when
there was just one February federal holiday – Washington’s Birthday. In my
youth there was none of this rounding-off-to-Monday stuff so that holiday, as a
general rule, was celebrated on George Washington’s actual birthday – February
22.
So if the evolved 21st Century version of a
February holiday about presidential qualities is rooted there, the punctuation rule’s
easy:
One President + His birthday = President’s Day.
But few things are
that simple. Add the Abe-Lincoln-born-in-February factor and we’ve got at
least two presidential birthdays to contend with and so –
It’s plural possessive = Presidents’
Day.
But wait. There’s
more. In 1951 a National Committee was formed in Washington D.C. The purpose: Not to honor any particular
President, but to honor the office of the Presidency with a Presidents Day.
So there was no apostrophe in the paperwork they filed.
Only problem: The
idea caught on in some places, but never at a nationwide level.
So …On January 1,
1971 the federal holiday honoring George Washington was shifted to the third
Monday in February by the Uniform Monday
Holiday Act. A draft of the Uniform
Holidays Bill of 1968 would have renamed the holiday Presidents' Day to honor the birthdays of both Washington and
Lincoln. But … this proposal failed in committee and the bill as voted on and
signed into law on June 28, 1968 kept the name Washington's Birthday.
So there’s nothing official and we’re just about back where
we began.
Boring? Maybe.
But there are some relevant TGIM Takeaways we should
consider.
Remember the original
challenge: Sorting out just what we’re observing today and its importance.
- President’s Day: If it’s about George Washington, we should be committed to learning all we can about what enabled this one man to rise above the many insightful Founding Fathers (and “Mothers”), provide inspired leadership to a rag-tag army of citizens who were certainly not his peers in wealth or influence, then keep united a new nation of very conflicting opinions and move it successfully forward.
- Presidents’ Day: If it includes Lincoln, we should be committed to learning all we can about what enabled this one man to rise above the disparate views of his day, overcome an intolerable institution, and still hold together the union that the Founding Fathers envisioned.
- Presidents Day: If it’s about the Presidency, an office that many would seek to hold but, to date, only 44 have achieved, we should be committed to learning all we can about what characteristics have made the greatest of those office holders great and what flaws have hampered the achievements of those who stumbled on their way.
TGIM ACTION IDEA: When you ponder presidential greatness, do
this: Apply a brain-stimulating exercise that dates back to my days as the
editor of the pocket-sized magazine Leadership
… with a human touch. And it’s now a significant part of the Best Year Ever program my buddy Eric Taylor and I put together some time ago.
(For a number of years an employee-taken photo of the Presidential
Portraits at the Mount Rushmore National Monument graced the Leadership cover.)
For the President who most inspires you and whose
characteristics you would like to emulate, take the --
L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P Challenge: For each of
the letters in the word “Leadership,” supply words or phrases that – in your
opinion – define the concept and admirable qualities as embodied by your presidential
preference.
TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Make your list.
Cheat sheet: To
get you started, here’s what comes quickly to my mind for Abraham Lincoln:
L - Listen. He listened to the many differing viewpoints of his
council of rivals to inform his thinking.
E - Empathy. He tried to relate to the problems, and understand the
difficulties, of others.
A – Accessible. He was available when others needed help and
direction.
D – Desire. He knew the outcome he wanted and created an atmosphere
that encouraged it.
E – Embolden. He allowed his advisors to give input without fear of
reprisal.
R – Remember. He kept his humble beginnings in mind and applied the
life lessons and experience of his formative years to his present situation.
(“For score and seven years ago …”)
S – Selfless. His personal needs came second to the lofty goals he
held for the nation.
H – Help. He was always willing to assist in whatever way he could.
I – Integrity. It wasn’t just by chance that he became known as
“Honest Abe.”
P – Persevere. Even in the most difficult times, he strove to move
forward – and did.
No weighty conclusions
here. Just this: No matter what your political leanings are, it's nearly
impossible not to find some glimmer of the human side of each of the Presidents
who come to mind today. The biggest point, as with many of the ideas we put
forward here, is to have the process of self discovery.
TGIM Takeaway: You don't have to be President to be great. The
behaviors that we view as greatness are acquired. They can be learned. All
change begins with the individual. A proven strategy for self improvement is to
emulate the great.
You can be sure that all the Presidential leaders we
remember and celebrate were aware of that. Now you are, too.
Punctuate today with
an exclamation point! Find out all you can about what made your heroes
great. Then -- by George! -- strive
to follow and master their best practices as you build Your Best Year Ever.
Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing
Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
P.S. “If you
are as happy, my dear sir, on entering this house as I am in leaving it and
returning home, you are the happiest man in this country. The 15th
President, James Buchanan (1791 -1868), said that to the 16th
President, Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865).
P.P.S. Speaking
of getting bargains on Presidents Day, here’s –
Great News: Eric Taylor is facilitating a dynamic
public-speaking seminar that's 100% about giving you the skills, tools,
tactics, and insider insights guaranteed to empower you to --
Speak Like A
Pro!
Thursday, March
15, 2012
at The Sheraton Hotel & Conference
Center
Eatontown, NJ
Your BIG BARGAIN: Click this link -- www.EricTaylorSpeaker.com
-- to get all of the details and register for this event at your exclusive, TGIM, friend-of-the-family, Pre- Early-Bird 50%-Discount rate (and
sponsorship opportunities).
I look forward to
seeing you there.
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