We are now close to the end of the time/space of 2019. It’s December 29, 2019. We, and by that I mean our solar system, has traveled 4.5 trillion miles through space in 2019. We’re moving at over half a million mph. Hard for me to wrap my head around this fact. Evidence to me of how precarious human life is. Personally, I don’t think there’s much intelligent life in the Universe. We may be alone. I’ll probably never know. I don’t really need to. While I am aware of the big picture, I focus on my little piece of the Universe: My home, my family, my friends and my pursuit of happiness. None of which will make any difference to anyone in 100 years. There’s some freedom in that knowledge. There isn’t much to throw a party about today: It’s Pepper Pot Day, Still Need to Do Day and Tick Tock Day (countdown to New Years Eve). The Pepper Pot soup story is interesting. George Washington told his baker general, Christopher Ludwick, to come up with a soup that “will warm and strengthen the body of a soldier and inspire his flagging spirit.”. He came up with Pepper Pot soup and it became known as the soup that won the war. This is the date in 1835 Treaty of New Echota was signed between the US government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction to cede all lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States. The the Trail of Tears begins as they are moved from the beautiful hills on Eastern Tennessee to the flat red treeless plains of Oklahoma. I would have cried too. In 1851 the 1st American Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) chapter opened in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1862 the bowling ball is invented. In 1890 on this date, the US 7th Cavalry massacres 200+ captive Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Not something we should be proud of. In 1955 Barbra Streisand’s 1st recording “You’ll Never Know” at the age 13. I didn’t know she started so young. Finally, in 1972 Life magazine ceases publication. That was a sad day. It was a great magazine. This is Mary Tyler Moore’s birthday (1936). She said “You truly have to make the very best of what you’ve got. We all do.” I agree and that’s my plan for today. Hope it’s yours too. Abide
