January 23rd will be a cold day in Central Florida. I know, “cold” is relative but the high today is forecast to be under 60 degrees. That means that I probably will wear socks, with my flip flops. Despite the cool weather, I will find numerous ways to enjoy this once in a lifetime event. Play some pool, bake a pie, drink some wine, play my ukulele, and maybe read a book. Life is good is you want it to be. The commission has a great list of celebratory events. Today is National Pie Day, Measure Your Feet Day (?), National Handwriting Day, Child Labor Day, National Sanctity of Human Life Day, National Rhubarb Pie Day, and Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day. As I said earlier, I think I’ll bake a pie. Now to the history of this date. On this day in 971 the war elephant corps of the Southern Han state was defeated at Shao by crossbow fire from the Song Dynasty forces. That would have been something to see. On this day in 1556 the Shaanxi earthquake, the deadliest ever recorded killed 830,000 in the Shaanxi state of China. In 1793 Humane Society of Philadelphia (1st aid society) was organized. In 1812, a 7.8 earthquake shakes New Madrid, Missouri. In 1855 the first bridge over the Mississippi River opened in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota. Finally, in 1957 Wham-O Company produced the 1st Frisbee disc (originally called the “Pluto Platter” until 1958). When I was searching for quotes among the long dead, I found Charles Kingsley who died in 1875 at the age of 55. He was a priest, professor, historian, and poet. He said, “If you wish to be miserable, think about yourself, about what you want, what you like, what respect people ought to pay you, what people think of you…. You will spoil everything you touch.” That’s a powerful observation. I know a few people like that who I avoid whenever I can. I’ll wrap this day up with a poem from Kingsley: “I have fought my fight, I have lived my life/ I have drunk my share of wine/ From Trier to Coln there was never a knight/ Led a merrier life than mine.” Abide.
