This day’s name is February 7, 2024. I get to live another day. This fact is the seed from which the flower of gratitude grows. I exist. Against all odds, the combination of my ancestor’s genes over 10s of thousands of years combined to create me. Lucky? Yes. Today’s celebratory events are Ballet Day, Global School Play Day, Harry Potter Book Night, National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, National Girls & Women in Sports Day, National Periodic Table Day, Rose Day, Send a Card to a Friend Day, Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor Day, and World Read Aloud Day. Now some history: On this day in 1812 that the New Madrid, Missouri earthquakes occurred. It was 8.2 on the Richter Scale and the strongest to ever take place East of the Mississippi River. On this day in 1845 the 2,000-year-old Portland Vase was shattered by a drunken visitor to the British Museum. On this day in 1856 the Tasmanian Parliament passed the Election Act of 1856 which provided for secret ballots for the first time anywhere in the world. This is the day in 1964 that the Beatles landed at NYC’s JFK airport for their 1st US tour. In 1965 on this day the US began bombing and strafing in North Vietnam. In 1974 on this day Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” premiered at the Pickwick Drive-In in Burbank California. Patrons watched the move from horseback instead of in their cars. Today’s inspirational quotes come from the author Charles Dickens who said, “The most important thing in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will’. Consider nothing impossible.” “My advice is to never do tomorrow what you can do today.” “Do all the good you can and make as little fuss about it as possible.” “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.” “Remember to the last that while there is life, there is hope.” “If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.” Last one: “I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.” Abide.
