Welcome to February 19, 2023. The English poet William Morris said, “The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” In other words, the small stuff matters if you allow yourself to notice them. When was the last time you really looked at a flower? Take some time to enjoy the beauty all around you. Today is International Tug-of-War Day, IWO Jima Day, National Chocolate Mint Day, National Lash Day, and Prevent Plagiarism Day. Not a great list of events but we do have a day with Chocolate Mint in it. I’m thinking ice cream. Now some history: On this day in 1600 the Peruvian volcano Huaynaputina exploded in the most violent eruption in South American recorded history. On this day in 1807 US Vice President Aaron Burr was arrested in Alabama for treason. He was later acquitted. On this day in 1878 Thomas Edison was granted a patent for his gramophone. In 1881 on this day, Kansas became the 1st state to prohibit all alcoholic beverages. On this day in 1913 the 1st prize was inserted into a Cracker Jack box. On this day in 1914 four-year old Charlotte May Pierstorff was mailed by train from Grangeville, Idaho to her grandparent’s house 73 miles away. On this day in 1942 the Japanese attack Darwin, Australia with 150 warplanes. On the same day, FDR ordered the detention and internment of all West Coast Japanese Americans. On this day in 1944 the British attack Berlin with 833 bombers. This is the day in 1945 of the invasion of Iwo Jima with 30,000 US troops. Today we will hear from the late Italian philosopher Umberto Eco who said, “Every great thinker is someone else’s moron.” Next is the French author Andre Gide who said, “It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not” and “It is one of life’s laws that as soon as one door closes another opens. But the tragedy is we look at the closed door and disregard the open one.” I’ll end this post with a quote from Harris Wittels who wrote for Sarah Silverman and was the executive producer of Parks and Recreation. Harris said, “I wanna open a Jamaican/Irish/Spanish small plate breakfast restaurant and call it Tapas the Morning to Ja.” That’s a good quote to end on. Abide.
