The earth will rotate into the sunshine of August 4, 2021, in an hour or so. It’s another day of unlimited opportunities. I could hop in the car and be at a beach on the Atlantic or the Gulf in a couple of hours. Have a lunch of fresh caught Grouper or Red Snapper. I won’t do either of those things, but I could. Instead, I will spend a couple of hours with friends listening to good music (Hollywood and the Tropix) and spend time with my grandsons. How good is that? It’s going to be a very good day. For the rest of you who don’t have a celebratory plan, it’s Hooray for Kids Day, National Night Out, Single Working Women’s Day, U.S. Coast Guard Day, National White Wine Day and my pick, National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Everybody’s favorite flavored cookie. Now to history. On this day in 1789 the National Constituent Assembly, established by the French Revolution, met, and issued the first decrees that abolish centuries of feudalism in France. The root cause of the French Revolution was a poor economy and lack of food for the working class. This is the day in 1862 that the US government collects its 1st income tax. Before income taxes, the government got its revenue by taxing imported goods (tariffs). This is the day in 1944 Anne Frank was arrested in Amsterdam by German Security Police following a tip-off from an informer who was never identified. Anne and her family were sent to Auschwitz. On this day in 1956 Elvis Presley released “Hound Dog”. Today is Louis Armstrong’s birthday. He started his life in 1901. He said, “I never want to be anything more than I am; what I don’t have, I don’t need.” That’s what “Abide” is all about. This is the day in 1875 that the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen stopped living. He said, “Enjoy life. There’s plenty of time to be dead.” I agree. And that is what I’m now going to do. Abide.
