It’s St. Patrick’s Day, 2020. It will be the quietest, soberest, drinking holiday in my lifetime. The emotional part of my brain wants my old life back. The rational part of my brain is grateful to be in such a nice place for my period of social isolation. Besides St. Patrick’s Day, its Submarine Day, or David Walls Day, Corned Beef and Cabbage Day and Camp Fire Girls Day. This is the day in 432 that the eventual Saint Patrick, at the age of 16 is captured by Irish pirates from his home in Great Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland. In 1845 the rubber band is patented by Stephen Perry. The reason this is Submarine Day is because in 1898 on this date, John Philip Holland achieves successful test run for the first modern submarine off Staten Island, submerging for 1 hour 40 minutes. In 1947 Arnold J. Toynbee appears 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 and we will get through this. This is Bobby Jones birthday (1902) He said, “The secret of golf is to turn three shots into two.” This is also the day in 492 that Marcus Aurelius died at the age of 58. I read some of his quotes and discovered that he was a very insightful person. It’s amazing that what he said over 1,500 years ago is still available and relevant. I’ll give you a couple, “Poverty is the mother of crime”. We are going to be testing that theory in the coming months. Another: “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” I agree. Now, I’m going to start this day. Corn beef and cabbage is on the menu tonight. Stay clear of the zombies out there and be sure to Abide.
