This day is July 18, 2023. One of the constant teachings of philosophy is that helping others is one of the keys to a happy life. Why do I bring this up? “Helping others” is a prism that can be used to judge the intentions of others. Let me be more specific: The next time, probably today, when you watch or hear a politician speak, judge them by the course of action they propose. Does it help anyone to live better? Does it promote the common good? Moving on. Today is Insurance Nerd Day, National Caviar Day, National Sour Candy Day, Nelson Mandela International Day, Perfect Family Day, and World Listening Day. Now to history: On this day in 64 AD the Great Fire of Rome began. It would last for 9 ½ days and destroy a large part of the city. On this day in 1290 King Edward I ordered the expulsion of Jews from England. This edict would remain in place for 350 years. On this day in 1864 President Lincoln asked for 500,000 volunteers for military service. On this day in 1892 the 1st human test of a vaccine against cholera was made when Ukrainian bacteriologist Waldemar Huffkine tested on himself. On this day in 1925 Adolf Hitler published “Mein Kampf”. The original title was “Four and a Half Years Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice”. On this day in 1938 Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan arrived in Ireland after a 28-hour flight after leaving NYC to fly to California. On this day in 1976 Nadia Comaneci (14-years-old) became the first gymnast in Olympic history to score a perfect 10. Since today is Nelson Mandela’s birthday (1912), I’ll use his quotes to end this post: “There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.” “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” “Blaming things on the past does not make them better.” “The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.” “As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” That’s enough for you to think about today Abide.
