October 3rd, 2022 is here. One of the quotes I read recently, and I don’t remember who said it, was “Every morning I wake up I have to decide if I’m going to change the world or just enjoy today.” I am pessimistic about humanities future, realistic about my ability to change it (I can’t) so I’ve decided to enjoy this day. It’s Blue Shirt Day (I can do that), Day of Unity, Global Smoothie Day, Look at the Leaves Day, Mean Girls Appreciation Day, National Boyfriend Day, National Caramel Custard Day, and World Habitat Day. Now let’s see what our ancestors did on this day. On this day in 1778 George Washington proclaimed the 1st National Thanksgiving Day. On this day in 1849 Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland. It’s the last time he was seen in public before his death. On this day in 1863 President Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. On this day in 1913 President Woodrow Wilson sighted the US Federal income tax into law. It was 1%. On this day in 1941 all elderly Jewish men of Kerenchug Ukraine were killed by the SS. On the same day, the Nazis blew up 6 synagogues in Paris. This is the day in 1945 that Elvis Presley public performance at the age of 10 in a youth talent contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair. He won 5th place which was a $5 in fair ride tickets. Today’s wisdom comes from the great folk singer of the Great Depression, Woody Guthrie. He’s one of my favorites. Woody said, “It’s a folk singer’s job to comfort disturbed people and to disturb comfortable people.” “Now as through this world I ramble, I see lots of funny men, some rob you with a six gun, and some with a fountain pen.” “If we fix it so’s you can’t make money on war, we’ll all forget what we’re killing folks for.” “Life’s pretty tough…you’re lucky if you live through it.” I’ll end on “Anyone who uses more than 3 chords is just showing off.” Abide.
