It’s St. Patrick’s Day, 2024. This is the day in 432 that the eventual Saint Patrick, at the age of 16 was captured by Irish pirates from Great Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After becoming a cleric, he returned to Ireland and became a bishop and eventually, the patron saint of Ireland. Besides being St. Patrick’s Day, its Red Nose Day, Corned Beef and Cabbage Day and Camp Fire Girls Day, Doctor-Patient Trust Day, and Submarine Day. Now some historical footnotes: On this day in 1756 St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in NYC at the Crown & Thistle Tavern. The reason this is Submarine Day is because in 1898 on this date, John Philip Holland achieved a successful test run for the first modern submarine off Staten Island, submerging for 1 hour 40 minutes. In 1947 Arnold J. Toynbee appeared on the front cover of Time magazine. I bring this up for the following quote: “Civilization is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbor.” In other words, we are on a journey. This is Bobby Jones birthday (1902) He said, “I never learned anything from a match that I won.” This is also the day in 492 that my favorite stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius died at the age of 58. He will provide today’s lessons on living life. “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it si to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” “The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject.” “You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. Leave them alone.” “Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.” “If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.” “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” I have done my best to remake myself using the wisdom an advice of this man who lived over 2,000 years ago. I’m still working on it. Abide.
