Guest Post

The end of October and the Halloween holiday are usually the time for stories involving mystery and the macabre. Utah apparently believes late September is as good a time as any to present the world with one of these stories that, if not spine tingling, at least confounds.

Randi Deem of Washington City, Utah explained to Kimberly Scott of the St. George News how on a dark and stormy night, a neighbor fixated on digging into the earth to replace his rain-washed out patio, and her own curious daughters at play in the vacant lot dotted with large rocks amidst the clay red dirt, came together to reveal a decorative wooden box containing a shocking discovery.

“The box looks just like a little tiny – maybe a jewelry case or a little handmade wooden – like a little music box or something perhaps,” Deem said, continuing, “You can tell it’s handmade and there’s some detailing on the front. On the top, on the lid, there’s some flowers they’ve kind of etched into the top of the lid. It’s really quite pretty. They’ve gone to a lot of work, whoever made this little box.” (more…)

As I drift into my “golden years” I’ve become sort of a curmudgeon. Hopefully a lovable curmudgeon like Andy Rooney, but a curmudgeon nonetheless. Mind you, I think curmudgeons are a good thing. They often bring up uncomfortable or unpopular topics in a kinder, gentler way than simply screaming at people.

A case in point is holidays. I’m all for holidays. They give us something to look forward to; a break from the routine of our lives. People generally get Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Independence Day right. What I don’t like is when holidays become a holiday from the holiday.

Confused? Consider this: I live in a college town. Both of our local universities have declared March 31st as Cesar Chavez Day. It is an official school holiday and no classes are held. Chavez was a Latino American who helped found the United Farm Workers. He and others put the plight of farm workers on a national stage. On Cesar Chavez Day people are asked to be of service to their local community. While that certainly happens at some level, a number of students don oversize sombreros and pass out on the street from drinking pitchers of Margaritas. Those students are taking a holiday from the holiday and making a mockery of the legacy of Cesar Chavez. (more…)