Today we are going to live August 21 2021. I’ve decided it will be a fine day. I can endure the heat and humidity. I’m grateful to Willis Carrier who invented modern air conditioning. If it weren’t for him, Florida would be pretty empty this time of year. Today is Break The Monotony Monday, World Hunger Day, National Senior Citizens Day, National Spumoni Day and Poets Day. I’ll celebrate Poets day by ending this post with one of my poems. Now onto those interesting footnotes about this day: In 1858 on this day was the 1st of 7 Lincoln-Douglas debates. Douglas was the incumbent Senator and Lincoln his challenger. While Douglas was re-elected, Lincoln created a base for himself when he ran for President two years later. This is the day in 1888 that William Burroughs received a patent for his adding machine. On this day in 1938 Italy bars all Jewish teachers in Public & High School. In 1959 Hawaii becomes the 50th US state. And on this day in 1969 the first Gap clothing store opens on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco. Today is Wilt Chamberlain’s birthday (1936). He was 7’1″, weighed 275 and was so good they had to change the rules of basketball. He scored 100 points in a game and that was before the 3 point shot. Wilt said, “Everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath.” Lots of people died on this date but none that provide any interesting quotes. Now I’ll post a short poem to celebrate Poetry Day. Stay safe and abide.
What do you see when you’re looking at me?
A balding old man with a bright white goatee?
Some spots and some wrinkles
A little extra weight
Someone who’s posture isn’t too great
Do you see the boy I used to be?
The one who sat on Grandpa’s knee?
The young man the girls wanted to date
The boy their fathers wanted to hate?
Do you see the man who went off to war?
His call to arms he couldn’t ignore
Do you see a father, a husband a friend?
A person on whom you could always depend
Or do you just see an old guy
In the fall of this life?
Walking by slowly
Holding hands with his wife
