by Father Mark Goldasich
Well, shoot! My bright idea got shot down. Such is the life of a columnist.
Originally, I was going to invite Leaven readers to celebrate National Columnists’ Day on the fourth Tuesday of June. This holiday was the brainchild of Jim Six, a columnist (of course) for the Gloucester County Times in Woodbury, New Jersey. It began in 1987. Why a Tuesday? “Well, my column appears on Tuesdays,” explained Six, “so I wanted it to always fall on a day my column is in the paper — nothing more arcane than that.”
Sadly, I just discovered that years later, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists “stole” Six’s idea, called it National Columnists (no apostrophe) Day and moved its celebration to April 18, the birthday of Ernie Pyle, the famous war correspondent. Six hung on to his June celebration date for nearly three decades and then conceded defeat.
So, in honor of Six’s original date — and because I have no other idea for this column — I’m marking National Columnists’ Day on the fourth Tuesday of this month and ask you to do the same (for this year anyway).
Although challenging to write a column, it is creatively fulfilling . . . and scary as well, knowing that my words are going out to some 48,000 households each issue. I’m conscious of the power of words as expressed in this story from Ralph Washington Sockman, a United Methodist pastor:
“A few years ago, I visited the castle of Elsinore of Denmark. The guide reminded us that around A.D. 1200, the king of Pomerania built Elsinore Castle and another fortified castle across the Skagerrak Channel in what is now Sweden. He thought that with these two bastions, one on each side of the channel, he could control entrance to the heart of Europe. The castle at Elsinore is in decay, the one in Sweden is gone, the Pomeranian king’s name is forgotten — at least by me.
“But on the day of my visit, tourist buses were lined up for blocks as they are every day, bringing visitors to that spot. Why? Because one William Shakespeare chose Elsinore as the locale of his drama ‘Hamlet.’ The power of the pen outlasts the power of the sword.” (Story found in “Illustrations Unlimited,” edited by James S. Hewett.)
So, what words are the most powerful, the most expressive in English? When asked that question, dictionary publisher Dr. Wilfred Funk came up with these 10: the most bitter word — alone; the most tragic — death; the most revered — mother; the most beautiful — love; the most cruel — revenge; the most peaceful — tranquil; the saddest — forgotten; the warmest — friendship; the coldest — no; and the most comforting — faith. (Found in “Illustrations Unlimited.”)
Being a columnist is incredibly humbling. The other day, a woman came up and said, “Oh, my gosh! I never thought that I’d have a chance to meet you!” I looked around to see who she was talking about. She then shook my hand and said, “Why, you’re ‘Mark My Words’!”
When my mom was alive, I knew that she was “obligated” to read my column. To know that people willingly choose to read it still blows my mind! Honestly, every time I hear from readers — whether verbally or in writing — is National Columnists’ Day: a time of celebration that warms my heart and stirs up a great sense of gratitude.
Hey, now that I think about it, missing the official National Columnists Day on April 18 is quite appropriate for me since this column is always “late” — that is, the very last thing to be turned in on deadline day! Oh, how blessed to have such a forgiving staff.
