DISCLAIMER: This is the annual post where Derek warns me, “Do you really want to post this? Some people might get angry with you.” Oh well, you got to break a few eggs sometimes. And I’m used to people being angry with me. Please feel free to disagree with me in the comments or just by grumbling under your breath.
Every year as Father’s Day approaches, I have the same conversation with my wife.
ME: Please don’t get me anything or do any out of the ordinary for Father’s Day. It’s a silly, made-up holiday. I don’t need another coffee mug recognizing me as the “World’s Best Dad” or a flimsy “Father of the Year” award for our mantle. It’s just another Sunday.
WIFE: You’re sure? This isn’t some sort of “hah hah, just kidding” joke that I am supposed to magically unravel where you’ll be grumpier than usual if we don’t plan something?
ME: Yes, I’m sure. For real. DO. NOTHING.
(Now, God forbid if I fail to go out of my way to acknowledge Mother’s Day. I half-assed it one year and still haven’t heard the end of it. I would blame my 13-year-old son, but he’s kind of useless when it comes to helping out with this sort of stuff. So I receive various warnings to “get it right” once May rolls around.)
Apparently, I am in the vast minority when it comes to celebrating faux holidays or “days of celebration.” On January 24, 2025, alone there is Beer Can Appreciation Day, National Compliment Day, Macintosh Computer Day, National Lobster Thermidor Day, and (my personal favorite) Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day.
Aren’t prospectors “grizzled” by definition? (Yes) Have you ever met a doe-eyed prospector who didn’t have remnants of last night’s dinner in his untrimmed beard? (Me neither)
Now, sadly, it’s time to throw away all those “10 years for $10” calendars you bought way back when, because we’ve got another day of celebration to throw on the old datebook next January 24 — that’s right, the first National Continuing Education Professionals Day™ is officially an event, trademark and all. We’ll apparently be celebrating every year on the Friday of the third full week of every January (the fact that this is going require some figuring out is a tad bit annoying – some years, it will be the third Friday in January while others, the fourth Friday. I am sure people much smarter than me have a reason why this is so, but it just seems odd to me).
Look, I get it. Everyone feels professionally underappreciated and wants to be acknowledged and made to feel special. Plus, without even checking, I am quite sure that professions like jewelers, lumberjacks, and personal chefs all have “days of recognition” (OK, I just checked. Mark your calendars for March 13, September 26, and July 16, respectively). So I guess in the “welp, I guess since everyone else is doing it, so should we” category, National Continuing Education Professionals Day™ was inevitable.
To help us all celebrate, our industry-wide organizations have put out a preliminary playbook with ideas such as “Host an Awards Ceremony,” “Organize a Special Lunch Event,” or “Launch a Social Media Campaign” next year on January 24. I’ll take a pass on it all.
Maybe I’m being too much of a curmudgeon (OK, probably I’m being too much of a curmudgeon). Maybe this is something our industry needs for our colleagues around healthcare to recognize the value of the work that we do. You want to “Plan a team-building exercise or outing” (another suggested activity)? Go for it – you do you.
Honestly, though, these “special” days are one of my recent pet peeves. There is now a day for everything — don’t forget about International Eighties Day on February 6 (it’s both Ronald Reagan’s and Rick Astley’s birthday. I’m not even kidding, that’s the reason for the date) — and at some point, when everything and everybody has their “day,” it ceases being unique or special. What’s wrong with, as Derek wrote me in an email yesterday, being a little more appreciative of those we interact with on a daily basis, rather than setting aside a particular day to show that appreciation?
You know what, though? Maybe it’s time for me to put away the snarkiness and get on board. So feel free to join me next Jan. 24 to celebrate us — I’ll crack open a can of suds, tell you how snazzy you look in your new duds, play some tunes on my Macbook, help you put on your lobster bib at lunch, and, tell those varmints to let us be, dagnabbit!
CMEPALOOZA 
Not angry at all but disagree. Whether we agree with it or not, nationally recognized “days” are more likely to be acknowledged by organizations. I think it’s a great opportunity to make progress in raising the profile of continuing education.
Laura
Laura Werts, MS, MEd, CMP
Senior Director, Continuing Medical Education and Pratt Research Library
Cincinnati Children’s
3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 3003, Cincinnati, OH 45229
Phone (CME): 513.636.1826
Phone (Pratt): 513.636.4439
Fax (CME): 513.636.8893
Twitter: @CincyKidsCME
Fax (Pratt): 513.636.4439
Twitter: @Pratt_Library
Fair enough Laura, and obviously there are plenty of people who share your perspective.
I see what’s going on. Having “CMEpalooza Day” twice per year is good; all these other groups are shooting too low by only having 1 day per year!
I do get weary of all these “days” and sincerely doubt this latest one will make any difference for me and my colleagues unless we make a big thing about it with our leadership in advance. Since I’ll be busy reminding my own family of my birthday in November and, or course, Christmas (to avoid the usual Dec 24 conversation with my husband that begins with him saying, “I guess I should go shopping if you’re going to have something to open tomorrow”), I don’t know that I’ll have the strength for more campaigning in January. It would be nice if we could just be respected for what we do without having to specify a day for it.
I think of it more like birthdays. Everyone gets one, but that doesn’t make birthdays any less significant to those whose birthday it is and to those who know the person. “Days,” especially those in the industry it is celebrating, is significant to those in the industry and to those who support it.
I understand this perspective, but I just question its value when things have become so watered down that there is a day for everything. You could quite literally choose to celebrate something (in fact, multiple “somethings”) every single day of the year because it’s someone or something’s special day or week or month. In my opinion, things just cease being “special” when it’s reached a saturation point, which I feel happened years ago. But I value the perspective of others who disagree with me – this isn’t a “I’m right so you’re wrong” sort of issue.
Oh, no, I’m not saying a “right or wrong” I was just sharing my perspective. 🙂 I, personally think that if one thinks about “Days” like they think about the idea of having, and celebrating, birthdays, it could make a little more logical sense. It does to me at least.
Another perspective, and maybe this is my overly, obnoxiously positive nature, but I see no problem celebrating something every day. From a mental health perspective, if I can have something to celebrate, identify, and in some cases, learn more about, I’m all for it! I get that something like that isn’t necessarily for everyone. From a professional standpoint, using “days” can help highlight topics in a way that is productive, interesting and innovative. For example, I see a lot of mental health services organizations using today, National Suicide Prevention Day to educate the public about suicide prevention and awareness. Can they (and should they) do that every other day of the year, sure! Does it catch peoples’ attentions if it’s the “National Suicide Prevention Day” and encourage them to spread more awareness. Probably. Now that I type that out, that would be an interesting and fun research topic.