Welcome to March 17, 2023. It’s going to be a pretty good day if… “If” is a conditional word. If you are healthy, if you have a home, If there isn’t a war raging around you, If you have enough money to buy food, If you have friends and family, today should be a pretty good day. Be grateful you have what you have. Today is Camp fire Girls Day, Corned Beef and Cabbage Day, Doctor-Patient Trust Day, National Preschool Teachers Appreciation Day, Red Nose Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Submarine Day and World Sleep Day. I’m going to celebrate Pre-School Teachers because that’s what my daughter (Sarah) is. Now some history: This is the day in 180 that Marcus Aurelius died. More from him later. In 432 a boy about the age of 16 who would become St. Patrick was captured by Irish pirates from his home in Great Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland. On this day in 1190 Crusaders massacred the Jews of York England. On this day in 1756 St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in NYC at the Crown & Thistle Tavern. In 1762 the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in NYC. On this day in 1886 in what is now known as the Carroll County (Mississippi) Courthouse Massacre left 23 African Americans dead. Two brothers who were black had accused a white man of attempted murder. At his trial a group of 50 white men stormed the courthouse and did kill them along with 21 black people attending the trial. On this day in 1905 Albert Einstein finished his scientific paper entitled the “Quantum Theory of Light” which is now one of the foundations of modern physics. On this day in 1930 construction began of the Empire State Building. I’ve already posted that Marcus Aurelius died on this day in the year 180 and since he’s one of my favorite philosophers, it’s only fitting that he is today’s quote source. Marcus said, “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength.” Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” “When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.” “If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.” You can see why I like Marcus so much. Enough for this day. Abide.
