Hiawatha Ready to Unload on Amnesty Day

If there is one thing I have learned about life in Hiawatha, is that you just can't improve upon Amnesty Day. This annual event is more welcomed than a rich uncle's birthday card.

This year Amnesty Day is Monday October 12. It starts at 7:00 a.m. sharp and you don't want to be late. Like Santa Claus, they only make one go-around each year.

But Amnesty Day is more than just a hall pass for all the junk in the basement and garage. It's a chance to let go of the demons that have chained you down for so long.

Say goodbye to useless guilt from that dusty exercise bike. Thumb a nose at the broken down stereo system. And as for those useless snow skis with the rusty bindings? Take a hike, this ain't Colorado. 

Seriously, Amnesty Day is often the only way many people can afford to get rid of old appliances, used tires and busted box springs and mattresses. Got some old furniture, or big bulky items you don't have room for anymore? Time to unload. 

In fact Amnesty Day is so popular in Hiawatha you might know friends who think it should be named a national holiday.

Can you imagine...we could take this idea further and make it an amnesty for everything from bank overdrafts to parking fines and jury duty. A free day to make up for past mistakes and errors. If you owed someone an apology, you could offer it up on Amnesty Day and receive perfect absolution and redemption.

Maybe that's the real magic of Hiawatha's Amnesty Day. It gives us the chance to let go of the past and get on with the rest of our lives.