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In 1963, artist Harvey Ball designed what would become the iconic yellow smiley face. He was only paid $45 for his efforts, and never trademarked or copyrighted his work. An opportunity for limitless wealth might've been something to smile about, but apparently Harvey didn't care for such things. He left a legacy in other ways, like the naming of October as World Smile Day. So, as October rolls around, what do we have to smile about? The Americans and the Soviets must've been smiling when a bleeping signal from the Sputnik satellite signalled the beginning of the Space Race in October 1957. If you're in Germany, you can smile at the thought of consuming your share of seven million litres of beer at Oktoberfest. In fact, if you're just about anywhere in Europe, October marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. This is definitely something to smile about for all those people who've consistently forgotten to change their clocks - and missed who knows how many meetings. It's also the time when Daylight Saving starts in Australia, which no doubt turns Down Under slightly upside down. October is also National Sarcasm Month, and Squirrel Appreciation Month... which is vitally important because squirrels are exceptional enough to warrant their own commemorative month. (A little sarcasm there in honour of October...) Somehow it's also Pizza Month and Pasta Month and Sausage Month. Why these foods couldn't be separated into different months isn't clear. It also makes no sense that September is Cholesterol Month - shouldn't that come after all the pizza and sausage? And here on the tip of Africa, what do we have to smile about this month? Well, most obvious is the exit from the Third Wave and rumours of a possible move to Level 1. There's the fact that it's not bitterly cold anymore, and that some of us are bravely swimming in our pools (although some of those smiles are actually grimaces from the freezing water). It's the final push towards the end of what has been another challenging year. It's the countdown to holidays and end-of-year celebrations, which will hopefully happen (safely of course). Our smiles will be hidden behind our masks. But how about we go ahead and smile anyway? And if anyone looks like they need cheering up, ask them why October comes from the word "octo" but it's not the eighth month of the year. (Hint: the answer has to do with the Romans.) You can also ask why Shakespeare mentioned all the months in his works except for October... but no one seems to know the answer to that one. Maybe, wherever he is, the Bard is smiling because he knows he's keeping us guessing. |