A holiday to remember

Greg Risling

Depending on who you are and where you work, you may have today off in

observance of Presidents Day.

Which president, you ask and what day do you celebrate, some of our most

prestigious commanders in chief? It is as confusing as understanding the

debate over the proposed airport at El Toro.

To readers betting that I don’t know which two presidents we recognize

this month, they better save their money. The answers are George

Washington and Abraham Lincoln. And, I didn’t even have to look at the

calendar.

Here is the problem: everyone has a different day off. The federal

government tried to clear up some of the confusion by making today the

officially “observed” holiday.

Schools, post offices and courts are closed today, but businesses are an

entirely different beast.

I made a few calls last week to see who, like myself, was fortunate to

have a three-day weekend. A friend of mine, Brad, in Sacramento had last

Friday off. I asked him if it was for both presidents or just one.

“Um, I don’t know,” he said. “Did you get Valentine’s Day off?”

Funny you should ask, Brad. Another call placed to an attorney in San

Diego further perplexed me. The attorney told me his daughter was given

off Feb. 14 for Presidents Day. He had no idea, either.

I dialed up another number, this one in the Bay Area. My friend, Jeff,

works at an Internet start-up company. He was surprised to learn for

once, in a very long while, I was receiving a paid holiday and he wasn’t.

“You have to be kidding me,” he said. “The next time I get a day off it’s

going to be Memorial Day? When is that?”

So, I decided to look at my calendar. Lincoln’s birthday was on Feb. 12

and Washington’s is today. Nine days apart and an entire headache

altogether.

My girlfriend, a magazine editor, has to work today. So does my friend in

San Diego who heads up an advertising department for a popular lubricant.

Why can’t everyone get on the same page? Is is so difficult to decide on

one day to recognize both presidents?

And, what about the actual “celebration” itself? Do we don top hats or

white wigs in honor of Lincoln and Washington. It ranks right up there

with Columbus Day.

I remember back in grammar school we learned about both presidents and

their contribution to the annals of history. Ask any school kid or adult

and they probably can’t tell you the date either executive was born.

Are we really doing these two guys any justice or just pilfering another

holiday for our own sake? Either we scrap this holiday or give it some

sentimental value. Otherwise it’s just another three-day weekend --

well-deserved assuredly, but meaningless to most.

* Greg Risling covers cops and courts, he can be reached at (949)

574-4226.