Book of Daze: Second Opinion Day

There are days when the universe seems to insist that one opinion is never enough. Today has been declared Second Opinion Day, a civic holiday that no legislature ever approved but that everyone observes anyway, mostly because no one wants to be the lone citizen who trusts a single viewpoint. The tradition began, according to unreliable historians, when a man asked his barber whether he needed a haircut and was told to ask someone with better judgment. The custom has expanded ever since.

On Second Opinion Day, people wander through their routines with the solemn understanding that every decision requires a backup verdict. A woman enters a confessional and whispers her worries to a priest who has already heard too many. He offers guidance, but she immediately asks whether he might recommend someone else who can confirm the moral advisability of her next move. The priest sighs, gestures toward the choir loft, and suggests that the organist has surprisingly strong views on ethical nuance.

Meanwhile, a motorist pulled over for speeding listens politely as the officer explains the infraction. The driver nods, then asks whether the officer would mind waiting while he consults a second authority on the matter. The officer, bound by the sacred rules of the day, agrees. A passing jogger is flagged down and asked to weigh in on whether the driver was indeed going too fast. The jogger, who has no training in traffic law, declares that the driver was moving at a spiritually appropriate velocity. The officer writes the ticket anyway, but with a note indicating that dissenting opinions were recorded.

Shoppers in grocery stores ask fellow customers to confirm whether the apples look fresh. Librarians are asked to verify the opinions of other librarians. Meteorologists are forced to consult rival meteorologists before announcing the weather, which results in forecasts that are twice as long and half as useful.

By evening, everyone is exhausted from the burden of collective judgment. Yet there is a strange comfort in the ritual. Second Opinion Day reminds people that certainty is a fragile thing, easily improved by a little shared confusion. It is a celebration of doubt, democracy, and the peculiar joy of asking someone else to confirm what you already suspect.

For additional Book of Daze entries celebrating other days that ought not to exist either.