It’s now the 9th day of January 2020. I’m sitting here surrounded by the clutter on my desk which I mostly take for granted. Lots of it didn’t exist 20 years ago. The best example is my cell phone which is a powerful computer, a book, a television, weather radar, camera, etc.. and an excellent phone. We are lucky to live our lives in this time/space. Now let’s see what we can celebrate on this specific date: Balloon Ascension Day, Healthy Weight, Healthy Look Day, National Apricot Day, Play God Day, National Word Nerd Day and National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. I’m picking Play God Day because it reminds me of a poem I wrote a long time ago, which I’ll end this post with. Moving onto history: In 1493, the 1st sight of manatees was made by Christopher Columbus. I’ll bet you didn’t know that. In 1570 Tsar Ivan the Terrible kills 1,000-2,000 residents of Novgorod, which is a city in Russia. I think we know how Ivan got his nick name. In 1793 the 1st hot-air balloon flight in the US lifts off in Philadelphia, piloted by Jean Pierre Blanchard which is why this date is Balloon Ascension Day. This is Nixon’s birthday (1913). He said: “I gave ‘em a sword. And they stuck it in, and they twisted it with relish. And I guess if I had been in their position, I’d have done the same thing.” There’s a range of emotions in that quote. Now it’s back to Playing God. I wrote a poem 20 years ago about some ants who became residents of my yard in Michigan. Here’s the poem:

I have some ants in my front yard
Building a city, working real hard
Digging up dirt and creating spaces
A labyrinth of tunnels and tiny ant places
Their whole world a small place by a tree
Their only real threat is someone named me
I’ve got this bag of horrible stuff
That kills ants and roaches if I sprinkle enough
Do I let them live or do I make them die?
I can make a decision in the wink of an eye
Today I think I’ll leave them alone
They won’t appreciate the mercy I’ve shone
Unlike the Old Testament’s version of God
They don’t have to worship me to live in my sod

Abide

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