Musical Holidays

Today is the Third of September. This means that today I will call my friend Elizabeth out in Oklahoma to wish her a Happy Third of September. We also celebrate the Third of June with a phone call. Here is why. A long time ago we were listening to Papa Was a Rolling Stone by the Temptations and the first line of that song is "It was the third of September" and Elizabeth noted that the song "Ode to Billy Joe" started with "It was the third of June". And we were wondering what significance the third had in songs, but we figured that songwriters used the third because it's one syllable and sounds better that singing It was the twenty-seventh of September. Anyway, on the third of June and the third of September we call each other and celebrate. Most of my family and friends know about this tradition because I call them sometimes too to wish them a happy third. Usually of June, because that's the day that Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahchee Bridge. Which sounds better than the third of September, because that was the day that my daddy died. Anyway, happy Third of September everyone!