Every week brings another e-mail to the inbox, generally with a syrupy message about keeping in touch with family and friends and not winding up regretting things when you’re an old fart.
Look, I love all of you, OK? There is no need to send me a message seeking my affections and approval. Really, if you feel the need to reassure yourself that I am your friend, take my word for it, you’re my best bud. Just don’t hit send on that chain letter, please?
Also, for the record:
There is no National Friendship and FAMILY WEEK
There is no National Friendship Week
Here’s a quote from Break the Chain (one of three places I check for debunking information):
Official declarations of special-interest “weeks” usually come from legislators and governors. “National” weeks or days will most likely be declared by the President or Congress. Searches on the White House Web Site and FirstGov.gov for “National Friendship Week” turned up nothing – as I hoped they would, since I don’t really want government involved with my social life at that level!
Of course, special-interest groups can also declare special “national” weeks and days. Heck, if I wanted to, I could declare this week “The National Week of My Left Eyebrow.” There’s no law and no person keeping me from doing it, all I need is a good public relations campaign. Oh, and if I send out a poem about my left eyebrow via e-mail and don’t date it, it can be the week of my left eyebrow all year long!
Break the Chain
I can say with one phrase (Carpe Diem!) what most of the friendship letters take pages to get across. It’s just not that difficult a concept to grasp. A better expression of this was heard a few weeks back on The View (no, I don’t watch the show, I was channel surfing during the day. No REALLY) When William Shatner was on plugging the Season Finale for Boston Legal. It’s also a song on his album Has Been (track title You’ll Have Time) which pretty much covers it.
I approach every day with the observation “this could be my last day” and I’ve done this for most of my life. That’s pretty much what he said, and that’s pretty much how I’ve lived for as long as I can remember. I recommend this approach to life to you as your friend.
Now, I need to go start that chain letter concerning the Week of My Left Eyebrow. That strikes me as being the thing to start a chain letter to promote.