It’s Alexander Graham Bell Day!
Alexander Graham Bell Day is celebrated on March 7 every year. It was on this day that Bell was granted a patent for “transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically,” and on March 10, Bell made the now iconic statement, “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you,” through a transmitter. His assistant Thomas Watson, who was in the next room, received the ‘call’ and heard the voice clearly — thus, the first telephone call was made. In honour of the day, he was granted the patent, people around the world celebrate March 7 as a day of innovation and invention.
The holiday is even recognized by an official act of the legislature here in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Interestingly, it is also Be Heard Day, which seems rather appropriate considering the celebration of communication. And it also gives opportunity to include one of our favourite over-communicators!
‘Gossip Girl‘ pays tribute to a nymph renowned for her beauty named Larunda. Larunda was also known for another trait. She talked a lot. Her parents, try as they might, could not curb this trait and her love of gossip.
Jupiter would provide an answer to solve this dilemma.
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As seen at my art exhibit ‘The Myth of Family’
During one of her many gossip sessions, Larunda could not hang onto a very juicy tidbit of information: she ended up revealing Jupiter’s affair with fellow nymph Juturna to Jupiter’s wife Juno. She could not keep such a juicy tidbit of information to herself. So much for the girl code.
That proved to be a very bad idea.
Jupiter was king of the gods in Rome. You mess with Jupiter, you better don’t mess with Jupiter.
His answer? Cut out her tongue and order her escorted by Mercury to Avernus, the gateway to the underworld.
Our story does not end there.
Click to read what happened next
Meanwhile back in the present . . .
We have more communication options than ever before. We share, overshare and in the end, don’t often listen to each other. Just like Alexander Graham Bell speaking into the void until it was finally received by Watson, people of today often are communicating into the ether – longing to connect.
So on this day where we celebrate communication, perhaps it is time that we as humans look to shout into the void less – and listen more.
(also noting the irony of posting this on a blog ha!)