A New Holiday

My brother is a very witty man. The other day he left me one of the funniest messages I have ever heard: “Hello Red Head. I was just calling to celebrate the miracle of modern communication. If you feel inclined to also celebrate call me back.” It made me laugh for a very long time.

As a somewhat nerdy World History teacher I think he really is on to something here. The list of modern miracles that deserve celebration is really quite long: Automobiles, vaccinations, iPods, movies, Harry Potter books, LED lights, Global Positioning Systems, elevators, soft sheets, electricity…Really the list is endless. We have a lot more to celebrate than the ancient Sumerians. Good thing our calendar has more days in it.

After a really long, intense, exhausting, and high-stress day I feel that it would be appropriate to celebrate a convenience of the modern industrialized world that is frequently overlooked: A hot shower. The powers of appropriate water pressure, a hot water heater, some well placed tile, and a shower head combine to make the world a better place. Seriously, I think the course of human history might have been altered if Napoleon had been able to take a hot shower while deciding to invade Russia.

I declare today hot shower day.