(no subject)
My company sent out this little “Diversity Newsletter” All about diversity in the workplace, and how to be more open- to other cultures, sexes, races, religions, ages, etc.
All in all- not bad. Typical stuff. Until the end. There, they listed
Diversity Celebrations and Holidays in December…
DECEMBER
Hanukkah-Begins at sundown on 12/15/06 (celebrated 12/15/06-12/22/06)
Christmas-Celebrated on 12/25/06
Kwanzaa-Celebrated 12/26/06
Hmmm- now- I didn’t expect to see “Saturnalia” or even necessarily “Yule” but not even a “Winter Solstice”????
So- well- you know- me- I had to write a letter to my HR rep who had sent out the e-mail…. Asking why no winter solstice. She said she had done what she could and maybe I should help next time. So I offered her some simple help… as follows:
When your calendar says “Winter Begins” It’s Winter Solstice (A.K.A. “Yule”)
When it says “Summer Begins” It’s Summer Solstice.
When it says “First day of Spring” or “first day of Autumn”- that’s the equinox.
Simple ;-)
(It’s the cross quarters that get complicated….)
She was UNDER impressed. Now, let me just explain- I’m friendly with this particular HR person- I know her husband, and they’re both just really nice folks. I wouldn’t call them “Friends” because we don’t get together outside of work, but they would be folks I would consider “work friends”. Anyway- so she wrote me back- sort of joking that yeah- I’ll give her that, but I would NEVER actually help her WRITE the newsletter.
So I replied with the following-
“You know what- in all seriousness- depending on how crazy things are- I actually wouldn’t mind helping with actually writing things. It’s sort of a “community service commitment to education” thing… The more I can help educate people and build understanding, the less biases my children and my friends will have to face. I’m lucky here that I can be “out” about my religious preferences, but I know MANY who are not so lucky.”
No reply yet….
Hmmmm….