Last night we entered the time/space of November 19, 2021. Last year on this date I opened the post with the soon to be available vaccines and the pleasant expectation of a return to normal. I’m now vaccinated and boosted and pretty much back to normal. Ignorance, politics, fear, and lies have stopped 130 million or more of us from getting the vaccines. And we’re headed into another winter. Since I can’t do anything about it, I’m not going to worry about it. Today is National Blow Bagpipes Day, National Camp Day, World Toilet Day and National Carbonated Beverage With Caffeine Day. I will celebrate the toilet. Why? Because we didn’t have inside plumbing until I was around 10 years old. Now let’s climb aboard the way back machine and take a short ride. On this day in 1620 the Mayflower reached Cape Cod. 200 years later, in 1805 on this day the Lewis and Clark expedition reached the Pacific Ocean. On this day in 1850, Alfred Lord Tennyson became England’s Poet Laureate, succeeding William Wordsworth. One of his familiar quotes is “It is better to have loved and lost than never loved at all”. This day in 1863, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. On this day in 1923 the Oklahoma State Senate ousted Governor Walton for anti-Ku Klux Klan measures. Think about that for a second. Today is Peter Drucker’s birthday. Peter was a management consultant and author. His quotes are short and insightful: “The best way to predict your future is to create it”, If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old”, and “There is nothing worse than doing the wrong thing well.” This is the day that Joe Hill died in 1915. Joe was a labor activist and songwriter much like Woody Guthrie. I’ll end with a few of his quotes: “The best way to get even with anyone is to put them in your rearview mirror on your way to something better.” “Sooner or later, the black car comes for everyone”, and “I have nothing to say for myself, only that I have always tried to make this earth a little bit better.” Me too Joe. Abide
