LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / January 8, 2000

With the new year, traditionally, columnist go off in the same directions – New Year’s resolutions, recaps of the past year, predictions for the coming year. I try to be different.Calendars. I’m swamped with calendars. I’ve often thought that’s a prettygood, reliable business to be in, what with so many specialized calendars, from office promotional calendars to business-card-sized calendars, wall calendars, desk calendars, Playboy calendars and Sports Illustrated swimsuit calendars and calendars celebrating everything from Brad Pitt to the paintings of Monet.

Immediately within reach of my chair in my office are a host of calendars.

Below my computer screen is a tiny calendar with stickum on the back for a local public official, reminding me about homestead exemption. In mybusiness card case is another calendar, from another public official, which gives me information as to appropriate gift-giving. According tothis calendar, an appropriate gift for a ninth wedding anniversary is something with pottery or willow. Sugar and candy is good for a sixthanniversary, by the way. (As my wife and I just celebrated our 20th, I’mtold that china is appropriate. She didn’t get china, although we ate onsome nice china at the restaurant where we dined.)To my left are two more calendars. One is a large desktop calendar onwhich I write and use sticky-notes to schedule my appointments. It tellsme, for instance, that Jan. 3 was the New Year’s Bank Holiday in Scotlandand that Jan. 26 is Australia Day. Canberra Day is March 20 in Australia.Professional Secretaries Day (all rights reserved) is April 26.

There are no national U.S. holidays in August. Did you know that?Next to that calendar is another, a schedule provided by the Louisiana Commissioner of Elections detailing all the election schedule. As of thiswriting, I still have the 1999 calendar and am eagerly awaiting the 2000 edition.

Behind me are meeting calendars for the Parish Council and School Board in St. Charles Parish, my principal beats nowadays. In the midst is one ofmy most important calendars, my wife’s work schedule (provided to me by her on a month-by-month basis). Also behind me is a school calendar fromthe St. Charles School Board.Besides all these, in the telephone books are more calendars, and somewhere I have an almanac with still more calendars.

Yet, with all this, last week I caught myself writing “1998” on my payroll form.

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