We are now in the 28th day of October 2020. Little has changed from the time I went to sleep last night. Waking up in the same world you went to sleep in isn’t something you can take for granted. We get up, have our coffee and then turn on whatever passes for our news and start looking for changes that have happened in the last 8 hours or so. I check a couple of sources and then sit down to write this post because I’m trying to focus on this specific day in my life which happens to be International Animation Day, Lung Health Day, Plush Animal Lover’s Day, Separation Of Church And State Day, Wild Foods Day and my pick, National Chocolate Day. There are abundant historical footnotes associated with this day. In 1492 Columbus sighted Cuba and claimed it for Spain under the name “Juana”. In 1636 Harvard University, Cambridge, is founded by a vote of the Massachusetts General Court. In 1793 Eli Whitney applies for a patent on cotton gin. This was a very big deal if you lived in the Mississippi Delta. In 1858 R. H. Macy & Co opens 1st store, (6th Ave-NYC) Gross receipts were $11.06. In 1886 Statue of Liberty dedicated by US President Grover Cleveland and celebrated by the first ticker tape parade in New York City. Finally, on this dark day in 1919 the Volstead Act is passed by US Congress, establishing prohibition, despite President Woodrow Wilson’s veto. The madness didn’t stop until 1933 when 3.2 beer became legal. This is Erasmus, the Dutch humanist and theologian’s birthday (1466). You probably don’t know much about him but you do know his quote: ” Women, can’t live with them, can’t live without them.” Here are a couple more: “To know nothing is the happiest life.” “In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” and “War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it.” He was a pretty smart person who would be fun to spend an afternoon with. That’s sufficient for this post. Have some chocolate and stay safe. Abide.
