This stretch of time/space is called January 12, 2023. People will be born and die today. We will kill each other and save the lives of each other depending on the circumstances. Nearly half the world lives on less than $5.50 a day. The world is a hard place if you were born into poverty. I’m grateful I wasn’t. Today is Curried Chicken Day, Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day, Healthy Weight, Healthy Look Day, International Kiss a Ginger Day, National Hot Tea Day, National Marzipan Day, National Pharmacist Day, Stick To Your New Year’s Resolution Day, and Work Harder Day. The first historical footnote for today is in 1773 when the 1st public museum opened in North America in Charlestown, SC. On this day in 1900 the Freeland Colony was founded. It was an attempt to establish a socialist utopian community on Whidbey Island, Washington. On this day in 1906 the football rules committee legalized the forward pass. On this day in 1913 Josef Dzhugashvill took the name of ‘Stalin’ which means ‘man of steel’. This is the day in 1915 that the US House of Representatives rejected a proposal to give women the right to vote. This is the day in 1939 when Timely Comics, later to become ‘Marvel’ was founded. On this day in 1952 the University of Tennessee admitted its 1st black student (Gene Mitchell Gray), as a grad student in chemistry. This is the day in 1962 that Operation Chopper began in Viet Nam. It was the first combat mission in the Vietnam War. The first quotes for today come from Agatha Christie who said, “You cannot give people what they are incapable of receiving.” “Fear is incomplete knowledge.” “Books are a habit-forming drug.” “The young people think the old people are fools – but the old people know the young people are fools.” Next is the British author Nevil Shute who said, “It’s not the end of the world at all. It’s only the end for us. The world will go on just the same, only we shan’t be in it. I dare say it will get along all right without us.” That’s a good one to end on. Abide.
