When you think of holidays, you may think, “Oh goody, I’m going to have a day off from work or school.” April 18th is a national holiday, but not one of those kinds. There isn’t much fanfare about this holiday. In fact, you probably don’t even know there is such a holiday. The holiday is National Columnists Day. This may not even give you much cause to celebrate, but since I am a columnist, this holiday makes me happy. I’m glad somebody thought enough of our small contribution to everyday life in America to give us our own holiday. After all, if we can have a “National Pop Goes the Weasel Day,” which happens to be on the same day as Flag Day and my wedding anniversary, why not a National Columnists Day? This is a day to recognize and celebrate the work of the writers known as columnists.
I have long enjoyed the writings of talented columnists. My earliest favorite was the late Paul Harvey. When you hear his name, you may instantly remember his radio broadcasts. Even as a boy, I loved listening to his famous “The Rest of the Story” segments. His signature signoff at the end of each broadcast was always, “Paul Harvey…Good Day!” At one time, he was carried by 1,200 radio stations and 400 Armed Forces Network stations, but his stories were also printed in over 300 newspapers.
Another early favorite of mine was Darrell Norman, a local columnist from Fort Payne. For many years, he lived in a rural cabin in Mentone and wrote about what he saw from his cabin window. Norman was a down-to-earth writer who wrote about everyday life, people, and even animals. He wrote for The Times Journal in Fort Payne, The Huntsville Times, and The Gadsden Times for many years. Since he lived and often wrote about the people and places where I grew up, I could identify with him.
The man born Samuel Clemens, who became Mark Twain, was also a newspaper columnist. Long before my time, he wrote a column for The Virginia City Enterprise in Nevada. Although I’ve never read any of Twain’s columns, I have read most of his books. I have had the joy and privilege of reading many of the columns of one who has been called “The Mark Twain of the South.” That would be the late Lewis Grizzard. I first discovered Mr. Grizzard in The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. I lived in Marietta, Georgia, back in those days and subscribed to that paper. It was so big it took me most of the week to read it all, but the first thing I read each week was Lewis’ column. He was way too young when he left us.
While I am not in the same league as any of those mentioned above, I count it an honor to write this column each week. I began writing occasionally for The Times Journal in Fort Payne in the early 1980s and then, later, occasionally for The DeSoto Appeal in Southaven, Mississippi. In January 2014, I began writing a weekly column for The Opelika Auburn News and have done so every week since. Other newspapers from all across the state have since picked up my column. I’m even back where I started, with my column in The Times Journal each week.
Thank you for reading my ramblings and for giving us our own holiday. I love to write, and I love hearing that you’ve enjoyed what I’ve written. I’ll close with words like Mr. Harvey’s, Bill King…Good Day!
Bill King, a Rainsville native, is a columnist in the Mountain Valley News and North Jackson Press newspapers. He is a writer, musician, and author. King can be reached at [email protected].