Some context, perhaps. About 10 years ago, maybe longer, folks noticed that @edmontonjournal reporter @keithgerein made a habit of wearing purple shirts on Thursday. And thus, with affectionate humour, we all began wearing purple on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/JunkerAnna/status/1362546110015807492
It was our newsroom inside joke. The purple didn’t stand for any cause. It wasn’t a political statement. It was a way of gently teasing and honouring Keith, and of showing newsroom solidarity in stressful testing times.
It went on for years. And as people were laid off, or left for other gigs, some of us went on wearing purple on Thursdays as a memory of our time in the newsroom together. (Watch any time I speak in the Senate on a Thursday. I’m almost always wearing purple.)
Again, it’s not about narcissism. It’s not about making a point. It’s just...a silly thing we do to signal a kind of connection - even though very few “original” purple people are left at the Journal.
I don’t know @JunkerAnna - we never worked together. But when I saw her picture I was so happy, to think that the new young whippersnappers at the Journal are keeping up Keith’s tradition. So no. It’s not about vanity. Or Postmedia. It’s a secret signal of joy.
And yes. I’m wearing purple - really closer to burgundy - today. Because even though I’m not a journalist any more, I still like to feel that little thread of connection and hope. Honi soit qui mal y pense. And @JunkerAnna? The flowers are lovely. Thank you.
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