The last day of May 2021 has arrived. What a difference a year makes. A year ago we were going into the pandemic and now we’re coming out of it. As James Brown put it so well, “Wow, I feel good, I knew that I would now.” Everything has a beginning and an end. Even pandemics. May 31 is Memorial Day, National Meditation Day, National Smile Day, Speak in Complete Sentences Day, What You Think Upon Grows Day, National Macaroon Day and World Parrot Day. On this day in 1759 The Province of Pennsylvania banned all theater productions. The law was adopted in response to pressure from religious groups, particularly Baptists, who found theatrical performances immoral. This is the day in 1868 that the 1st Memorial Day parade was held in Ironton, Ohio. This is the day in1879 that Madison Square Garden opens in New York, named after 4th President James Madison. In 1884 Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patents “flaked cereal”. This is the day in 1900 US troops arrived in Beijing, help put down the Boxer Rebellion. The “Boxers” was a movement to kick foreigners out of China. Their real beef was with the Christian missionaries and Chinese converts. When it was all over, 100,000 people died. Today is the birthday of Norman Vincent Peale who is known for positive thinking. He said, “The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.” This is also Walt Whitman’s birthday. Walt said, “Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour” and “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” Both are talking about attitude. Good advice. Abide.
