April 1, 2022
Just Saying…
By Q.C. Jones
Mind your business
April is famous for a lot of things. Some are just downright silly and unimportant. Days like April Fool’s Day, National Fun at Work Day, National Canine Fitness Day, National Tell a Lie Day, and National Deep Dish Pizza Day are just a handful of the over 140 special days planned for April.
Other events are serious. Easter falls on April 17th for most Western Christians, and a week later, April 24th, for those following the Eastern Orthodox Church. I did a bit of research on this time difference and discovered issues tied to a decision made by Pope Gregory XIII back in 1582 to implement a different calendar – the Gregorian Calendar (which brought us the leap year). Orthodox Christians; however, stayed on the Julian Calendar.
From my vantage point, this lag in holidays provides two things. First, it allows us to procrastinate and still have Easter Cards out in time for the Orthodox celebration. And second, it serves to give the Easter Bunny a few days’ rest before “hippity hopping” his way through Eastern Europe and Lebanon.
The Muslim Ramadan starts on April 2nd and is a time when Muslims concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives. It is a time of worship and contemplation. Fasting is an act of worship that enables Muslims to feel closer to God while strengthening their spiritual health and self-discipline.
Now with just a little drum roll and modest fanfare, stand back as your friend and pal, QC Jones, tosses his magnificently styled 10-gallon hat into the special day offering. Allow me to introduce, The QC Mind Your Own Business Day. The whole concept is semi-legit. Further, the day shares a common ancestry with the likes of Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Hank Williams. Allow me to explain.
While researching all things April, we stumbled on “National One Cent Day” which is (hardly ever) celebrated on the first day of the month. At first glance, I was skeptical, as it does fall on April 1st, however, the whole thing checked out. According to internet authorities, this day commemorates the release of a one-cent coin issued by the United States in 1793.
Thinking back to those days and Ben Franklin writing as Poor Richard, “a penny saved is a penny earned” has been
rattling around in my mind since about 1962. Just for grins,
I decided to check into exactly how much a penny was worth in 1789. The answer: 32 cents in 2021 numbers. So old Ben was talking about something more than the cost of “penny candy,” which seems to be going for at least a nickel these days. This first bit of US currency was called a “Fugio” cent. The coin was designed in 1787, prior to the formation of the Constitutional United States, back when the “united” part was questionable, and the government came by way of the Congress of the Confederation. Designed by Ben Franklin, the copper coin, which is considerably larger than the current penny, bore the emblem of a sundial and the Latin word “Fugio.” For those of you who missed taking Latin in School, Fugio means “I fly,” implying “time flies” when paired with the sundial. Readers of the classically educated variety are familiar with the term “Tempus Fugit,” which is more commonly used as the Latin for “time flies.”
The Ben Franklin design shines through because directly below the sundial and “Fugio” was the boldly written, “MIND YOUR BUSINESS.” I like the mind your business motto, a lot.
It appears Country Music icon Hank Williams shared my sentiments. Back in March of 1949, Williams recorded what could easily be viewed as the theme song of this holiday. Echoing the QC’s personal thoughts Hank said this:
Mindin’ other people’s business seems to be high-toned
I got all that I can do just to mind my own
Why don’t you mind your own business?
(Mind your own business)
If you mind your own business, you’ll stay busy all the time
QC Mind Your Own Business Day reminds one and all to concentrate on our own bad habits, our personal idiosyncrasies, and our own lives. The concept is simple, yet hard for many to understand. To further illustrate this point, allow your erstwhile expert in the topic QC Jones to share a real-world example.
Let’s say you were one of the brave souls determined to celebrate your Irish Heritage at the St. Patrick Society’s Grand Parade. Standing there in the sub-freezing weather, you happened to see a spry old guy wearing a Cowboy Hat and a green pearl snap shirt. Through the corner of your eye, you notice him lift a shiny metal flask to his lips. The contents of said flask are unknown to you. It could be cough medicine, perhaps Irish spring water from the Green Isles, or coffee. Based on the exaggerated waves to the marchers, the smart money would bet Irish Whiskey.
Well, mind your own business, DNA testing says QC is 19 percent Irish. The breathalyzer test was inconclusive. Just Saying…
