To start the year off on an optimistic note, I will write about one of the idealistic concepts of my grandmother, Helen Kitchel. She was a remarkable person. Born to a wealthy family, she nonetheless enjoyed meeting and being with all kinds of people. She particularly cared about the wellbeing of her family, her community, and the natural environment. Helen had many interests that she worked tirelessly to bring into existence. She and her father helped to establish a community park. She was in charge of landscaping portions of the state parkways when she served in the Connecticut Legislature. She preserved hundreds of acres of land for a state park. These are just a couple of her endeavors.
One particular idea that never came to fruition was Interdependence Day. She believed that all nations and therefore all peoples are connected and dependent on one another. Sometime in the 1950’s she began a campaign to have the first day of each year declared a world holiday, Interdependence Day. She imagined all nations acknowledging and celebrating human connection on January 1st. She wrote to several directors of the United Nations and several United States presidents. I believe she actually received some responses, but clearly her wish was not fulfilled. I vividly remember her asking us, her family, to at least acknowledge January 1 as Interdependence Day.
I feel proud that my grandmother had this idealistic yet also very accurate perception. We are all interconnected. We are all in the same boat. I believe this is more true now that ever. I think of the world difficulties of pollution, climate change, terrorism, and immigration patterns as examples of how we are negatively affected globally by problems that begin more locally. There are also positive global effects that begin in discreet locations. World music from different countries, and specific cultural events, the benefits of commerce and trade, the spread of new ideas and knowledge via the internet, the cuisines of different cultures and countries are some examples. Yes, there can be negative aspects to some of these, too. I believe that the positives do outweigh the negatives however. There is so much we now take for granted that we share with each other throughout the world.
What if there was an Interdependence Day? I’m not sure what day of the year would be most suitable. Perhaps January 1st is the best choice. How could the day be celebrated? Usually festivals include gatherings, food, music, and celebrations. Specific cultures could be highlighted, with a change of the choice each year. Or a mélange of cultures could be celebrated. Possibilities abound. The most important aspect would be the humble acknowledgement that we are all connected and dependent on one another.