As I sat at the counter slurping my float, I noticed a small boy sitting on his knees in his chair, straining to reach his milk shake straw. “Hey, kid,” I said, “why don’t you try a bendy straw?” I handed him one, and soon he was happily slurping away.

Then it came to me: the bendy straw! It’s a great invention that never gets recognized. I designated March 26 as “Bendy Straw Day” and talked Whit into having a celebration at Whit’s End. This afternoon I hung straws from the ceiling and brought in a cake in the shape of a bendy straw.

Guests poured into Whit’s End for the celebration. Each received a lei made out of straws. Connie served everyone a root beer float complete with a bendy straw. The celebration was a huge success! The problem came when everyone left. The place was a mess! I picked up piles of used straws as my feet stuck to spilled root beer. “I can’t believe everyone made this big mess and left,” I complained.

“You know,” Mr. Whittaker said, “your school janitors probably go through this every day when they clean up the cafeteria. Maybe this will help you appreciate them more.”

Now that Whit’s End is cleaned up, I’ve decided to celebrate a new holiday — “Unsung Hero Day.” It’s for all those people who do important jobs but rarely get noticed — like the guy who invented bendy straws, the janitors who keep our schools clean, trashmen who deal with the stuff we throw away and restaurant servers who bring us our food. Where would we be without these people? Enjoy your new holiday!

— A.J. Out!