Happy Labour Day! Once the true indicator of the end of summer as families returned from cottages and preparations for school hit high gear. These days schools have already been open for at least a week, even if the weather maintains its summer characteristics. In all my years of education, from first grade, through high school and college, university, and graduate school, I don’t believe I ever began the school year before Labour Day.
I don’t have any scientific evidence to back up this allegation, but that’s okay, it seems that trust in science itself is optional these days.
Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, but I believe that serious concerns, including the scourge of Global Warming and the recent/current COVID19 pandemic, are punishment for this premature return to classrooms. I don’t have any scientific evidence to back up this allegation, but that’s okay, it seems that trust in science itself is optional these days.
The usual background to new school year preparations, particularly during high school, was the annual Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, or as most people referred to it, the Jerry Lewis Telethon. It was available here in Montreal on the local ABC affiliate.
Twenty or so hours of Jerry in Las Vegas with sidekick Ed McMahon and a whole whack of popular and sometimes just plain weird entertainers (they kept the weird ones for 4:00 a.m.!). What a great way to draw a line under another summer. But sadly Jerry got the bum’s rush after all those years.
The telethon was also the venue where, in 1976, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin were reunited after decades of animosity. Under the auspices of Frank Sinatra the famous comedy duo split in 1955 kissed and made up.
…we may as well just start the school before Labour Day and do away with all those traditions…wait a minute, we have, haven’t we?
The Labour Day Telethon without Jerry Lewis and Jerry’s Kids…we may as well just start the school before Labour Day and do away with all those traditions…wait a minute, we have, haven’t we? More’s the pity!
DCMontreal 