It is December 7, 2022. My goal in the first section of this post is to remind you, in some way, to be grateful because gratitude is the foundation of happiness. I try to follow the advice of the Dalai Lama who suggests “Every day, think as you wake up, that I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.” Today we have a short list of events: International Civil Aviation Day, Letter Writing Day, National Cotton Candy Day, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, and Special Kids Day. Now some history: On this day in 43 BC Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman orator and politician was assassinated. If you read Cicero’s quotes, you will find that he was a thorn in the side of the rich and powerful. In 1787 on this day Delaware became the 1st state to ratify the US Constitution. On this day in 1877 Thomas Edison demonstrated his gramophone to the editors of “Scientific American”. On this day in 1934 Wiley Post discovers the jet stream. This is the day in 1941 that the Imperial Japanese Navy with 353 planes attacked the US fleet at Pearly Harbor killing 2,403. In 1967 on this day Otis Redding records “(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay.” On this day in 1982 in Texas, Charles Brooks, Jr. became the 1st person to be executed by lethal injection. Since this is the day that Cicero died, I’ll use him as my dead person for today. Cicero said, “Politicians are not born; they are excreted.” “Never was a government that was not composed of liars, malefactors and thieves.” “Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.” “It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own.” Last one is “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” Do yourself a favor and search on “Cicero’s quotes” and start reading. It will open your mind. Abide.
