It’s August 13, 2021. While waiting for my coffee to brew, I looked at the news on my phone which provides me with lots of reasons to be frustrated. If I allow myself to focus on what’s wrong, I will pay a price. Buddha said, “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.” Therefore, I’m going to think happy thoughts and let someone else worry about what’s around the bend. Life is short and I don’t want to waste a single day of it. Today we have a short list of celebratory events: National Kool-Aid Day, Blame Somebody Else Day, International Left-Handers Day, National Filet Mignon Day and National Prosecco Day. I’ll go with the wine and steak. Always a good choice. Now the history of August 13th: In the year 1521 on this date the Spanish conquistadors under Hernán Cortés captured the Aztec Emperor Cuauhtémoc in Tenochtitlan marking the end of the Aztec Empire. On this day in 1732 Voltaire’s “Zaire” premiered in Paris. Voltaire said: “Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.” This is the day in 1792 French revolutionaries imprisoned French royals, including Marie Antoinette. I’m going to deviate from my normal post of quoting people who were born and died on this date and end with some quotes from Buddha whom I follow as best I can (it’s a philosophy, not a religion). “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” “Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.” And “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” Abide.
