This day is called January 16, 2023. It’s a good time to sit back, close your eyes and be grateful for all you have and who you are. This simple act will set the tone for the rest of your day. Happiness, aka being content, is a decision if you control what you think about. Reading all those quotes from stoic philosophers has given me the tools I need to be where I am. Today is Blue Monday, Appreciate a Dragon Day, Book Publishers Day, Elementary School Teacher Day, International Hot and Spicy Food Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, National Day of Service, National Fig Newton Day, National Pothole Day, Religious Freedom Day, and Prohibition Remembrance Day. Now some history. In 1547 on this day, Ivan IV the Terrible crowned himself the 1st tsar of Moscow. He was 17. On this day in 1776 the Continental Congress approved the enlistment of free blacks. This is the day in 1793 that Louis XVI, King of France was sentenced to death by the National Convention during the French Revolution. On this day in 1883 the Pendleton Act became law and created the basis of the US Civil Service system. Prior to this law, government jobs were filled by the people who supported the person elected. On this dark day in 1919 the 18th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and prohibition started. On this day in 1939 the comic strip “Superman” debuted. Since today is MLK Day, I’ll use Dr. King as my quote source. He said, “Never, never be afraid to do what’s right.” “No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity.” “The silence of the good people is more dangerous than the brutality of the bad people.” “A productive and happy life is not something you find; it is something you make.” “The best way to solve any problem is to remove its cause.” “Let’s build bridges, not walls.” That’s a good one to end this post on. Have as good a day as you decide to have. Abide.
