February Monthly Poll

Two months down, twelve more to go! 

I'm sure you're all looking forward to the Monthly Poll! Click here to vote! Remember, the voting is opened until the end of March and the results will be revealed soon after! 

*POLL CLOSED* Results can be found by clicking here.  

 

National Time Management Month

Perhaps ironically, National Time Management Month has been left until the end. While there’s still lots of time to sort everything, it pretty much exemplifies how not to tackle anything related to time management!  

Time management means “the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity.” With a definition like that, perhaps I have followed along with the rule, but just not given you, the reader, an opportunity to exercise your time management skills! Luckily, there are endless websites dedicated to improving your ability to task or time manage. Unfortunately, mastering the art does not mean you will have the ability to change time! 

For those of you daring to learn or strengthen this gift, I wish you all the best. For those of you uninterested, maybe next year?

National Friendship Month

Despite it not coinciding with International Friendship Month, February is home to National Friendship Month. Perhaps this is due to Valentine’s Day falling in the month, I’m not sure, but Friendship Months seems an important theme to celebrate. Friends can make all the difference in the world. They are who we lean on in times of distress, and who we tend to share laughs and companionship. This month, perhaps take the time to really show your appreciation to the friends you value most (and even those you don’t hold as high!).

National Youth Leadership Month/National Parent Leadership Month

It’s both National Youth Leadership and Parent Leadership Month, and I think this means the two should be discussed together. 

Leadership can be defined in multiple ways, such as “a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task” or “somebody whom people follow.” Either way, leaders can potentially influence those around them to make positive changes. Both youth and parent’s can very much be viewed as leaders in either of these definitions. 

National Youth Leadership Month was designed to promote the efforts of youth who have enlightened the world (local and global) to various leadership initiatives. By definition, youth leadership refers to “the practice of teens exercising authority over themselves or others.” Many youth leaders go one to become leaders throughout their adult life, as well. Examples of youth leaders are Craig Kielburger, who began when Free the Children when he was only 12, or 16-year old Malala Yousafzai who stood up for her rights and inspired the international community by beating the odds and coming up more positive and determined than ever. While these are only two examples, there are thousands more than do equal work, most of which we will never know a thing about. National Youth Leadership Month is about giving credit to these incredible young men and women who make it their responsibility to seek necessary change in the world around them.

Similarly, National Parent Leadership Month is geared towards placing emphasis on parental leadership. Basically, this month is meant to showcase the many parents who engage in leadership roles not only in their homes, but also in their communities. In this day and age, when we seem to praise celebrities for their “efforts” in inspiring young folks to aspire to be like them, it amazes me how one of the most incredible jobs anyone could take on is overlooked. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a parent – not all of us are – but,  I have had the fortune of having a mother who exemplified parental leadership to the highest of highs! Its parents like my Mom (yes, I am admitting that she was not the only incredible parent out there, although I will happily argue that she was the best at what she did!), that make the world a better place, and make me feel so disappointed when todays youth strive to be something artificial instead of something of value. This could be said for how this same cohort favours fame over being an educator, doctor, or any other crucial occupation. Despite my mild rant, each and every one of you out there doing your best to raise your children while leaving a mark on the world around you, I say thank you and keep up the great work!

National Bird Feeding Month

Taking a switch from the previous two monthly events, February also marks National Bird Feeding Month. Another United States designated holiday, National Bird Feeding Month seeks to “educate the public on the wild bird feeding and watching hobby.” John Porter declared this an event in 1994. 

I don’t know how many of you have had the experience of feed a wild bird, but I have to tell you, it’s pretty neat. In a park close to where I grew up, there is a man who goes everyday to feed chickadees (and whatever other birds happen to be willing participants!). I have had the pleasure of meeting up with this man on several occasions, and as a result was given the opportunity to have chickadees eat seed out of the palm of my hand. The lightness of their bodies on my hand is probably one of the most unique experiences I have ever had. I had no idea how little they weighed, and was filled with such delight upon experiencing it! I think its encounters such as these that allow us to understand the value and beauty of nature.

LGBT History Month

Today we are looking at LGBT History Month. The term LGBT refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender. The purpose of this initialization is to promote an emphasis of the diversity amongst “sexuality and gender identity-based cultures.” The term LGBT derives from its original form of LGB, which became widely used in the 1990s. In 1996, a “Q” was added to the initialism, which served as a means to include those who identify themselves as “queer” or “questioning their sexual identity.” Please note, for the purposes of this post, I will continue to refer to this event as LGBT, not LGBTQ, as this is what it is officially known as. It is in no way meant to disrespect anyone who identifies with the term queer, or who may be questioning their sexuality. 

The celebration of LGBT History Month is meant to promote “the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements,” as well as to “to encourage honesty and openness about being LGBT.” Recognized in the United Kingdom and the United States, this event actually has conflicting months. February is the UK’s officially designated month, while in the US, it is celebrated in October as part of their National Coming Out Day on October 11. LGBT History Month was first celebrated in 1994 in the United, and was founded by a high school teacher by the name of Rodney Wilson. The first celebrations in the UK took place in 2005. The month of February was selected in the UK due to the lack of activities scheduled in the school calendar. 

For more information, visit the United States LGBT History Month website, or the United Kingdom’s website.

Black History Month

The first of our February Month-long holidays is Black History Month. This celebration is recognized in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Black History Month began as a weeklong event called “Negro History Week,” which took place in the second week of February. This began in 1926 in the United States, and is the result of the direct efforts of historian Carter G. Woodson. The rational for selecting the second week, was that both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’ birthdays fell on this week. 

As the popularity and understanding of the importance to promote the history of African heritage, slavery, and the many positive influences of some notorious African descended men and women, Negro History Week was upgraded to Black History Month in 1976. The United Kingdom jumped on board in 1987, and it wasn’t until nearly ten years later, in 1995 that Canada began to recognize this celebration. 

Interestingly, Black History Month has been met with criticism. Some feel a month should not be dedicated to one race, while others feel the fact that it happens to be the shortest month to be an issue. A noted quote on Wikipedia from Morgan Freeman states, “I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history.” This is obvious evidence of Freeman’s criticism of Black History Month. And, while I can see his point, I, as a white Canadian, feel that there is a legitimate need to showcase and continue the educational value of this event. I think it is important to reflect on the past and to evaluate how far we’ve come, if at all.  And, as we’ll see through the year, there are other like themed celebrations to come, which showcase the various cultures and history of other races, genders, and ethnicities. The worst case scenario, in my opinion, is that it sparks a means for individuals to talk, which can lead to great things.