We’ve reached the halfway point of April. It’s been good so far. I’m optimistic it will remain so. David Rakoff, who was a Canadian writer, described optimism as a non-detail-oriented way of thinking in contrast to pessimism with is detail orientated. In other words, optimism is a feeling that everything is going to turn out well when the details of life tell you something else. I think that’s an accurate description of the present. Moving on: April 15th is National Laundry Day, Husband Appreciation Day, Jackie Robinson Day, National Rubber Eraser Day, National Glazed Spiral Ham Day, National Griper’s Day, National That Sucks Day, Take A wild guess Day, Titanic Remembrance Day, and World Circus Day. Onto history for this day: In 1250 on this day the Mongol Council acclaimed Kublai as the Great Khan. On this day in 1528 Panfilo de Narvaez, Spanish conquistador landed in Florida with 350 men. The supply ships never arrived at the designated spot (Tampa Bay) and for 7 years the troops tried to make it to the Spanish settlement in Mexico. 3 of the 350 finally did. This is the day in 1817 the 1st school for the deaf opened in Harford, Connecticut. This is the day in 1861 that the Federal Army of 75,000 volunteers was mobilized by President Lincoln to fight in the Civil War. This is the day in 1865 that Lincoln died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth. On this day in 1912 the RMS Titanic sunk at 2:27 AM off the coast of Newfoundland with 1,341 lives lost. On this day in 1947 Jackie Robinson became the 1st African Americans to play in US major league baseball (Dodgers). Since Lincoln died on this day, he’s my quote source. Lincoln said, “The most reliable way to predict the future is to create it.” “How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail, a leg doesn’t make it a leg.” “When you make it to the top, turn and reach down for the person behind you.” “Tell the truth and you won’t have so much to remember.” “You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry.” I’ll end with “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” Abide.
