May 1st has arrived. My first order of business each day is to establish a sense of gratitude. I start by comparing how I feel, not to yesterday but to my last worst day. Since that was less than a week ago, it’s easy for me to feel a sense of gratitude. We’ve got a big list today: May Day, Couple Appreciation Day, International Workers’ Day, International Lover’s Day, Lemonade Day, Save The Rhino Day, National Chocolate Parfait Day, Mother Goose Day and National Home Brew Day. There’s more but this is enough for me. Now to the historical footnotes. On this day in 1704 the Boston Newsletter published the 1st newspaper advertisement. In 1776 Adam Weishaupt founded the secret society of Illuminati with the goals of opposing superstition, ending religious influence over public life, and curbing abuses of state power. This is real cloak and dagger stuff. On this day in 1851 the first public flushing toilet, called a Monkey Closet were used at the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park England. Cost was 1 penny. On this day in 1863 the Confederate Congress passed a resolution to kill all captured Union black soldiers. This is the day in 1700 that John Dryden, English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright died. Here are a couple of his rhymes: “None, none descends into himself, to find, The secret imperfections of his mind: But everyone is eagle-ey’d to see, Another’s faults, and his deformity.” I’ll end this with “Happy the man, and happy he alone, he who can call today his own; he who, secure within, can say, tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.” Abide.
