Top Ten Days Todd Gross is the weatherman for the local NBC affiliate in Boston and my preferred weatherman when I visit New England. Gross had a brush with fame when Christopher MacDonald (Family Law) played him in The Perfect Storm. The movie assigned him the honor of coining the title but, in that respect, the movie wasn't accurate. The author made the title up. Todd uses the term Top Ten Days his broadcasts. I think he really made that one up. At least, I am awarding him the credit. I first overheard someone refer to a Top Ten Day. I was on my way to Fenway Park when someone coming up the stairs from the subway declared the day a "top ten day." I didn't know that was an actual title. I just thought it was his personal opinion. Then I heard the phrase again in the morning. Todd Gross was on Channel 7 explaining that in his opinion that day was in fact our first Top Ten Day of the year. (I guess the fellow in the subway was not authorized to declare Top Ten Days.) Todd went on to explain that we don't see that many glorious days in a year and that we should relish the ones we do get. To help us, he would identify them as "Top Ten Days." I listened to Todd that day. I called the office and said that I would not be in. You could say I jumped the gun. It turned out that there were approximately twenty Top Ten Days that spring -- which unfortunately arrived sometime in mid-July. (Don't get me started on New England springs.) But no matter when it arrives, there is nothing quite like the first spring day. And, you're hearing that from a fan of autumn. If I had to pick my favorite season, hands-down it would be fall. I love everything about that season. The sight of gloriously chlorophyll-free leaves against unreasonably clear blue skies. The sound of leaves crunching under foot. The scent of burning leaves -- or at least memories of the smell from the days when burning leaves was legal. And, the feel of the first chill in the air .Yes, that first chill in autumn is as appealing as that last chill in spring is unappealing. I love slipping on a blazer for the first time in autumn as much as I love slipping that same jacket off for the last time in spring. And by the time March ends, do I ever love the idea of slipping that jacket off. To clarify, I explain the apparent conflict of my love of autumn with my love of the first spring day with the Grammy's. Autumn is my favorite album. That first spring Top Ten Day is my favorite song. Given my love of the year's first TTD and its imminent arrival, I have prepared a plan that appears below -- and gives you an idea of what I have to write at my day job. Identifying, Promoting, and Maximizing Utilization and Appreciation of Top Ten Days (TTDs) Executive Summary: This plan will assist the client in the identification, promotion, and utilization of the ten days of the year demonstrating the most appealing weather characteristics. Identification Since you do not have Todd Gross to advise you, you will have to take personal responsibility for identifying TTDs. Sometime that first gorgeous day catches you unaware. But there are signs to watch for. The first Top Ten Day is usually preceded by a false alarm -- a day that looks beautiful and even feels good for the first few minutes. Too soon, you learn it's not the real thing. You run inside for a coat. But take heart the real thing cannot be far behind. Another sign appears in your grocery store. For me the next big occasion after Christmas is the arrival of the cut daffodils in the flower markets. Most likely the flowers will be available for sale before the daffodils in your yard surface -- which often happens after the first Top Ten Day. (Hint: Watch out for a false flower alarm in early February. The narcissus market has been complicated by new competition with the entry of Ireland and Israel into the field. Apparently daffodils flourish in countries that begin with the letter "I.") Other signs? The sudden appearance of deeply tanned college students returning from spring break. The earliest trace of buds on the flowering trees. The initial indication of crocuses pushing through the dirt. The sight of the first motorcyclist sprawled on your lawn. Promotion Once you have identified a TTD, you have to inform others -- people who might not be aware of the phenomena, who have not been on the lookout, or who simply slept late -- that we are experiencing a TTD. I worked in Washington for two partners who felt that you weren't working overtime until you passed the twelve-hour mark. The first thing I recall when I think of that job is not the long hours, or the tough meetings or even the time I had to sneak into an office to cry because . . . well that's another story. Anyway, what do I remember? The Friday in March when the partners walked through the office and told us to leave at 2PM and go out and enjoy what was -- although they didn't call it that -- the first Top Ten Day of the year. What a great way to be remembered! (I have to admit that I had been out to lunch and identified the TTD myself. I was thinking of skipping out early anyway. The partners' announcement, however, was very helpful to zealots who had dined at their desks.) You do not have to make a personal visit to declare a TTD. With advances in technology you can get the word out via e-mail, voice-mail, but not snail mail. Time is of the essence. Hint: Prepare your TTD Alert list in advance. Utilization and Appreciation Maximizing your use of a TTD involves a two-pronged approach: a) Decide what not to do with the day b) Decide what to do with the day I find deciding how not to spend the day the simpler choice. I don't go to work. I am lucky. I am self-employed so, with very few exceptions, I can take a day off whenever I want. Others are not so fortunate. Of those of us who have 9-to-5 jobs, not all of us -- make that few of us --work for managers like my bosses in Washington. We can't count on management to cut us loose to enjoy that first day. We have to plan ourselves. I once worked for a large corporation that had a holiday for every occasion. Vacation Days. Sick Days. Personal Holidays. Special Holidays. Wedding Days. Bereavement Days. Hangnail Days. My Cousin Might Drop by from Cleveland Days. (I even created my own holiday: the Indoor Special. That's a day when everyone, including your boss, believes you came to work. And physically you have. Mentally? You go somewhere else.) But as creative as the HR professionals at that company were even they hadn't thought of the Top Ten Day Holiday. So you might have to hoard a personal day for the occasion. I think it's worth it. Once you're free of your daily obligations, the hard part begins. What to do? The only thing that is mandatory is being outside. No one is more surprised than I am to find that I love being outdoors. Fran Leibowitz, a very funny writer and an inveterate New Yorker, once wrote (and I paraphrase) that to her the outdoors was something she walked through to get from her apartment to a cab. There were years when I was pretty much on the same page with the fan of the great indoors. And I still feel there are times when enjoying the outdoors can best be accomplished through a plate glass window. A Top Ten Day is not one of those times. A TTD must be felt, smelled and heard as well as seen. Get outside. Follow Up Exercises Like all good things, Top Ten Days must come to an end. Don't be depressed when the day is over. Memorize the occasion and enjoy its glories over and over again. I memorize the TTDs of my life. It requires some concentration. Since all my TTDs involve the ocean, I follow some standard procedures that I'll share. 1. Close your eyes. 2. Notice everything. 3. Open eyes. 4. Memorize visuals. Okay, admittedly the procedure is not as complex as I initially indicated. But you do have to take the process seriously. Be sure to load everything into long-term memory. Sample questions: Is the sun warm? Is the breeze gentle? Does the air smell fresh? Do you hear the surf? Are there happy birds chirping? Is the sand still cold from winter and just a little damp? Optional: If you have a favorite piece of music you might want to take your walkman and record a soundtrack for your memory. Personally, I like to create both versions. When I look back on a year I often wonder. When does life happen? I think a lot of it might happen on Top Ten Day -- in those moments. Don't miss a TTD. You may not get another that year. And if you do? What's the harm if you get nineteen more. Would complain if you won the lottery twice? Hint: If you don't get a second TTD, you can always relive the first one. Take an Indoor Special. Rise at your usual time. Dress in your usual business attire. Commute via your regular means to work. Sit at your desk. And let your mind leave. Revisit one of the your TTDs. (If you selected the option with musical accompaniment take your walkman to work.) TTDs make good investments. They are the gift that keeps on giving. Conclusion As I write I am on the watch for the first Top Ten Day of 2001. I am in Massachusetts at this moment so I not really nervous that I'll miss TTD#1 if I, say, I doze off, go to a three hour movie, or read War and Peace in the original Russian -- which I would first have to learn. But in a week or so, I will be heading south to the Jersey shore. And there I will have to keep a watchful eye out for that first Top Ten Day of the year. I hope I am not too late. |
