It’s February 8, 2022. Another chilly wet day awaits those of us who live in central Florida. I’m not complaining because we don’t have to shovel rain or scrap 45-degree temperatures off our car’s windshield. I do look forward to the warm sunshine that is right around the corner. In the meantime, It’s National Kite Flying Day, Boy Scouts Day, Laugh and Get Rich Day, Opera Day, Proposal Day and National Molasses Bar Day. Onto the history of Feb. 8th: On this date in 1587 Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded. On this day in 1600 the Vatican convicted scholar Giordano Bruno of heresy because he believed in an infinite universe and burned him at the stake. In 1622 King James I disbands the English parliament. Why? Because Kings can. In 1910 the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated by William D. Boyce. On this date in 1942 Congress advised FDR that Americans of Japanese descent should be locked up so they wouldn’t oppose the US war effort. In 1944, the 1st African American reporter was accredited by the White House (Harry McAlpin) on personal order of President Roosevelt. On this day in 1963 the Dallas Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs. Today we will stop at the grave of John Ruskin who was an English writer and philosopher in the Victorian era who was born on this date in 1819. John observed that “Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” John was obviously an optimist. He also said, “The best thing in life aren’t things.” I’ll wrap of this post with this one: “Let every dawn of morning be to you as the beginning of life, and every setting sun be to you as it’s close; then let every one of these short lives leave its sure record of some kindly thing done for other, some goodly strength or knowledge gained for yourselves.” Abide.
