Here we are. Spaceship Earth has entered the time/space of 1/22/2021. Been a great trip so far. I got on in 6/1/1945 and plan to get off somewhere past 1/1/2035. I am going to ride this rock as long as I can. That’s the future and I’m looking forward to it. But, I do understand that all I’ve really got is today. Everything else is either a memory or an expectation. Today is Come In From The Cold Day, Dance Of The Seven Veils Day, National Polka Dot Day, National Hot Sauce Day, National Blonde Brownie Day, Roe V Wade Day and Celebrate Life Day. I celebrate life every day. That’s why I write this post. Today I’ll just celebrate it with hot sauce. Let’s see what happened on this date in prior years: Answer is, not much. Kind of a slow day in the history department. In 1862 on this day the Confederate government raises premium for volunteers from $10 to $20. In 1879 the Battle of Rorke’s Drift was fought. A British garrison of 150 holds off 3,000-4,000 Zulu warriors. They made a movie of it (Zulu) in 1964 starring Michael Caine. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a great movie. In 1908 Katie Mulcahey is arrested for lighting a cigarette, violating the 1-day old “Sullivan Ordinance” banning women from smoking in public, and is fined $5. Appearing before the judge she stated “I’ve got as much right to smoke as you have. I never heard of this new law, and I don’t want to hear about it. No man shall dictate to me.” Finally, this was the day in 1973 that Roe vs Wade was decided by the Supreme Court. This is the birthday (1788) of the English poet Lord Byron. He said, “The best prophet of the future is the past.” I think that’s true. Humans keep making the same mistakes over and over again. This is the day in 1973 that Lyndon B. Johnson died at the young age of 64. He was one of my favorite Presidents. He said, “You aren’t learning anything when you’re talking.” That is profoundly true. He also said “Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men’s skins, emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact.” Also so true. That is enough for this day. Be safe, wear a mask, hope for more vaccine. Abide.
