This Friday is called December 9th, 2022. It’s that time of the day when I remind myself to be grateful to be alive. This is my favorite out of the 28,315 I’ve lived because it’s where I’m at right now. It’s called the “present” because it’s a gift. It’s also Christmas Card Day, International Anti-Corruption Day, National Llama Day, National Salesperson Day, Official Lost and Found Day, Weary Willie Day, and National Pastry Day. Now some history: On this day in 1640 Hugh Bewitt was banished from the Massachusetts colony because he declared himself to be free of original sin. On this day in 1851 the 1st Young Men’s Christian Association in North America was established in Montreal. On this day in 1854 Alfred Tennyson’s poem “Charge of the Light Brigade” was published. It’s a short poem that you should search on and read. On this day in 1903 the Norwegian parliament voted unanimously for female suffrage. On this day in 1905 the French Assembly National voted for separation of church and state. On this day in 1908 the German Reichstag adopted a progressive social law restricting hours of factory work by young people and women. On this day in 1926 the USGA legalized steel shafts on golf clubs. On this day in 1941 Hitler issued orders to torpedo US ships. On this day in 1965 “A Charlie Brown Christmas” premiered on CBS. This day is not a good one for quotes, so I’ll go to plan B and search on “Present” and see what comes up. Buddha suggested “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” Nido Qubein said “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” Seneca said, “True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.” Tennessee Williams said “Life is all memory except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.” I’ll end with Marcel Pagnol who rightly observed “The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.” That’s enough words for today. Abide.
