May 18, 2021. It’s that time of the year when I start watching for disturbances off the Western coast of Africa. When you live in Florida during hurricane season, you check to see if there are storms in the Atlantic headed our way. We’re good. The high commission has selected a variety of possible celebratory events for our consideration. It’s Dinosaur Day, I Love Reese’s® Day, International Museum Day, National Visit Your Relatives Day, National No Dirty Dishes Day, Send an Electronic Greeting Card Day and National Cheese Soufflé Day. I’d like to have a Reese’s peanut butter cup. I’ll go with that. To the history of this day: On this day in 1652, Rhode Island enacted the 1st law declaring slavery illegal. In 1830 Edwin Budding of England signed an agreement for the manufacture of his invention, the lawn mower. Saturdays were destroyed forever. On this day in 1896 the US Supreme court affirmed the legitimacy of racial separation in Plessy v Ferguson. This is where “Separate but equal” came from and would not be effectively overturned until 1954 under Brown vs. Board Of Education. This is the day in 1897 when “Dracula” by Irish author Bram Stoker is published. Finally, in 1933 the Tennessee Valley Act (TVA) was signed by FDR, to build dams. This is the birthday of Omar Khayyam who was born in the year 1048. He was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and poet. Omar said, “Don’t cry upon your losses. Don’t measure today with tomorrows. Don’t trust passed and coming days. Believe in now – and be happy today.” I’ll end with another one of his quotes: “Drink wine. This is life eternal. This is all that youth will give you. It is the season for wine, roses and drunken friends. Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” Seems like pretty good advice to me. Abide.
