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piquen your interest

Whose week is it anyway?

So your dog left you and your little sister scratched her initials all over your CDs – on the wrong side. (Don’t laugh, this happened to someone I know). Take heart. There is still reason to smile and, as it turns out, plenty to celebrate, thanks especially to the municipality. In those immortal words of that British DJ Fat Boy Slim, "I want to praise you like I should" and in Whistler there is no shortage of choices.

This month alone the RMOW adopted three new weeks and a day for us all to observe. Hence, if you felt appreciated by your boss on the week starting April 23 rd that’s because it was Employee Recognition Week. Incidentally it was also Arts and Culture Week on request of the B.C. Arts Council. And it will be Falun Dafa Week from May 13-19, 2001, at the request of, well, that’s not so clear. Now before you embarrass yourself by asking if Falan Dafa Week is the celebration of some exotic Israeli braised duck falafel dish, please read the following.

"Falun Dafa week lets us join millions of believers world-wide in the Chinese self-improvement philosophy centred around the principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Falan Dafa Week also brings attention to Chinese totalitarian control over peoples’ lives and brutal persecution of free thinkers, such as those living by Falan Dafa principles." Just so you know.

Our new day to commemorate in Whistler is the Day of Mourning on April 29, 2001, as requested by the Workers’ Compensation Board. This event honours the memory of people who have died as a result of workplace injury or occupational disease. And Lest We Forget, here’s a sample of other recognition requests that have fallen upon the municipality’s desk in recent months: to proclaim the entire month of May, 2001 Child Care Month, and June 9, 2001 to be National Kids Day in the RMOW. In case you missed it, March 3, 2001 kicked off Gymnastics Week, December 1, 2000 was World AIDS Day, and White Ribbon Week ran from Nov. 25- Dec. 6, 2000.

On a national scale, things get even crazier. March saw the celebration of National Engineering Week, currently we are in the throes of Canada’s official Earth Weeks from April 14 to 29, and don’t neglect Emergency Preparedness Week from May 7 to 13. If you fancy a new job, just hold out for Canada Career Week from Nov. 4 to 10, 2001 and National Aviation Week is just over the horizon.

Just to put you in the picture, it’s not only your time, thoughts or cash these weeks aim to capture. Body parts too would be nice. The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Association of Transplantation (CAT) has joined forces to actively promote April 22- 29 as National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week – or more accurately, week and a day. But let’s not quibble over details. And last but not least, is Freedom to Read Week, which takes a swipe at Canadian Customs’ habit of stopping the importation of perceived harmful literature into the country. Luckily for me, I’m already on the inside.

Now I am sure the majority of these special weeks and days do merit the extra attention. However, excess is not always the path to enlightenment and runs the risk of making us all a little "week weary." To cope with all this celebration and recognition, the Gregorian calendar might need to be more in the order of say, 800, rather than 52 weeks. But then again, as the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them.

So let’s enter into the spirit of it all and proclaim the seven days from April 27 to May 3 as Journalist Appreciation Week, or JAW. After all, we do great things. For instance journalists are the eliminators of the "Nigel no mates" or "loser" syndrome. If it wasn’t for us reporters, how would you pass the time waiting for your friend at the coffee shop when they forget to show?

"Of course I haven’t been stood up," your body language radiates. "I’m just sitting here enjoying a nice cup of joe and catching up on world events." Without us you would be forced to read and re-read the federally approved ingredients list on the back of your federally approved recycled cup. Feeling grateful yet? This socially embarrassing situation translates directly of course into bars, restaurants or anyplace where your reputation could be on the line. Just don’t forget to hold the magazine the right way up.

Another reason to praise journalists is our duty as the upholders of truth, justice and the (North) American way – or was that Superman? Regardless, the former is a good enough reason to reach deep into your pockets, err, I mean hearts, and take a moment to praise the scribes by supporting JAW – "like you should."

— Robyn Cubie