Next Monday, we will celebrate Labor Day. With the first Monday of the month falling on Sept. 1 this year, Labor Day seemed to come very early. Labor Day is dedicated to the economic achievements of American workers. It recognizes the tremendous contributions that our workers have made to the financial well-being of our country. In 1894, during his second term as president of the United States, Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a federal holiday.
This day always brings back many memories for me. First, it signifies the end of summer and, in my day, the start of school. Though this is not the official end of the summer season, it has always seemed so to me. Second, I can’t think of Labor Day without remembering Jerry Lewis’ MDA Telethon that ran for so many years, starting the Sunday night before Labor Day and running until late afternoon or early evening on Labor Day. So much money was raised throughout the years for this most worthy cause! Now that Jerry Lewis has passed away, his presence during this Labor Day event is just a memory. It makes me sad to think about this in so many ways, but I also rejoice in what this event accomplished during Jerry Lewis’ lifetime and his tremendous dedication in 45 years of service to this important organization that has helped so many. One day, a cure will be found!
Third, as a huge tennis fan, particularly of Jimmy Connors, Labor Day means U.S. Open tennis. My favorite U.S. Open memory was Connors’ 1991 “magical” run at 39 years of age. It all began when Connors lost the first two sets to the younger McEnroe brother, Patrick, in the opening round match. Down two sets, 0-3 in games, and 0-40 in the fourth game of the third set, it was all but over. I vividly remember turning the television off and going to sleep. The next morning, I awoke to the news that Connors had rallied, as he did so many times, in one of the most memorable comebacks in tennis history. Connors won the third set and came back to win the next two sets, pulling off a victory in a five-set match that ended at 1:35 a.m. (EST)! Wow! Connors went on to win his next two matches, and by the time Labor Day rolled around, his performance in the 1991 U.S. Open had become a national news story.
In a memorable Labor Day match against fellow American Aaron Krickstein, Connors again pulled out an exhausting five-set victory on his birthday. He advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 1991, where he lost to fellow American Jim Courier. What an amazing and unexpected run! I will never forget it!
I also remember a Labor Day weekend when I was 15 years old. We celebrated my cousin Greg’s 12th birthday at Caney Lake in Minden that Saturday. Out there all day in the era of thick, bulky suntan lotion instead of sunblock, my fair skin baked, and I had the second-worst sunburn of my entire life. My worst sunburn experience (and I have many) is an entire story in and of itself, which I will share some other time. Yes, when you are as fair-skinned as I am and sunburn in a matter of minutes, you rank your sunburns by their severity. Anyway, I spent the rest of the Labor Day weekend completely sidelined at home and suffering from a horrible sunburn—watching the U.S. Open and the MDA Telethon, of course.
This year, my wife and I plan to spend a somewhat relaxing Labor Day weekend working around the house, running errands, going to church, and going out to eat with dear friends in celebration of my birthday (a few days after the fact). As I’m sure holds true for many of you, this is exactly the kind of weekend and Labor Day that we need. Returning to my normal routine on Tuesday morning, I expect to be relaxed, energized, and ready to go. So, in a different sort of way, we plan to create another very memorable Labor Day experience.
These are my most memorable Labor Day memories. I hope that all of you have a great Labor Day celebration with friends and family and that you make some great Labor Day memories of your own!
Randy Brown is Regional Publisher and Executive VP of Specht Newspapers, Inc.