Americans really like their holidays, and anything can be a cause for celebration, it seems. We remember presidents, honor our parents and get into a complete cupid frenzy on Valentine’s Day.
But why stop there. Here’s a new twist. Lots of people in our country are named Joe, and we have a lot of sayings, objects, and even underwear named after “Joe.” Is this enough for a new holiday?
Service student Joe Ewing, 16, got the idea for a “Say Hi to Joe Day” when he was instructed to write a letter to the president about an issue–any issue–for his English class.
“It was kind of a class project, and everybody was writing blase letters to the president, so I decided to spice up the mailbox by writing that we should have a Sah Hi to Joe Day,” Ewing said.
Joe permeates American culture–from Joe Boxers, to Joe Millionaire, to the phrase “your average Joe.”
“This is such a big part of our culture. If you look around, the ‘average Joe’ wakes up in the morning, puts on his Joe Boxers, drinks his cup of joe and then goes and hangs out with his other friends named Joe,” Ewing said.
Even after the letter-writing assignment was over, Ewing didn’t drop his dream for a Say Hi to Joe Day. He mailed his letter to the president. And he talked up his idea among friends, adults and family.
“There are a lot of kids who are supporting this,” he said, “I have been talking to kids from other schools, and they think it’s a good idea. I talked to some adults that I know named Joe, and at first they laughted, but then once they thought about it they thought it was a good idea. Some kids have been putting up signs around school for Say Hi to Joe Day for April 28th,” Ewing said.
As for the president, Ewing is not expecting much of a response from him. However, he is hoping he can make an impact at the local level. He says other students who’ve written the president never heard back either, so he’s undaunted.
As for his own family, Ewing says they support him every step of the way in his campaign.
“They think it’s hilarious,” he said.
Ewing realizes that his idea sounds strange, but he believes it will help people open up and step out of their everyday lives to show some kindness to the average Joe.
2003″I know it sounds pretty crazy, but I think it’s one of these things that you could have a lot of fun with. It’s not just about saying hi to Joe, it’s about stepping out of your comfort zone to say hit to the average Joe.”
