Monday was Presidents Day, which for almost all of the public-sector folks and school kids around these parts meant a day to enjoy the unseasonably warm temperatures.
For private-sector workers, it was a typical Monday.
It also was typical for the anti-Trump crowd, who took to the streets in big cities around the country with #NotMyPresidentDay protests because it was, you know, a day that ends in 'y.'
Also of note here is that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management actually calls Monday's festivities "Washington's Birthday," which would really confuse the protesters' slogan.
Jay GreesonMonday's designation aside, it dawned on me that this was a reason for pause, especially with the most controversial person on the planet right now being the leader of the free world.
Monday was Presidents Day - and also the one-month anniversary of Donald Trump's inauguration.
It's only been a month?
Ponder that for a moment.
One month since the Jan. 20 swearing in.
In this case, 31 days, and likely the only thing that the pro-Trump and the anti-Trump gangs can agree on is it feels more like 31 weeks.
In his first month, Trump has energized the economy. Even his biggest detractors have to admit this. If you are going to downplay his role in lifting the markets and forcing some U.S. companies into looking at reinvesting at home, well, that's your problem.
Also of note, Trump for the most part is trying to live by the campaign promises that got him elected. This is fair game to debate and discuss - those promises were controversial then and they remain that way today - but it's worth noting and perhaps somewhat admirable. Let's say this country is split 40-40-20 among Trump haters, Trump supporters and people hoping for the best. What do you think the split would be if people asked, "Do you want politicians to do what they promised during the election?" That would be at least 90-10, right?
Now there has been the bad of the first month of Trump, and at times that bad has been really bad.
His controversial appointments - be it disgraced Michael Flynn or that boob Steve Bannon - make his supporters shake their heads and fuel his detractors. That's no secret, but the big puzzle is why it continues.
His trademark squabbles with so many over what should fall far from the purview of the president also seem petty. They give credence to the claim from the Washington Post over the weekend that Trump has cabin fever, or as MSNBC's Joe Scarbrough put it, Trump is a "sore winner."
How can the next 47 months of this presidency not feel like 47 years? We're glad that question has come up.
First, the president, more than anything else, needs someone who he trusts to be able to tell him no. And he needs to be willing to listen.
Discretion is always the better part of valor, and in this case the smarter avenue, too.
In a country divided this starkly, he needs to be willing to extend an olive branch at least as often as he does the flame thrower.
In the presidency that at this pace feels assured to age in dog years, this one-month mark deserved a quick review before our next step.
That review would divide any room or family or discussion, because division has been the lasting mark of Trump's first month.
And most, but not all of that, is on Trump, good and bad. If you review the best and worst of Trump's first month, and don't believe there's good with the bad - or bad with the good - then maybe you should review your last month as well.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-4363.