This day is named August 8th, 2022. We have a once in a lifetime chance to make it a good one to live. The stoic philosophers have told me to pay attention to the details and live in the moment. Groucho Marx, a person not often referred to as a philosopher, said “I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose.” He’s right of course. Today celebratory events are International Cat Day, National CBD Day, National Dollar Day, National Frozen custard Day, and National Zucchini Day. Now let’s see what our ancestors did this day. On this day in 1303 a magnitude 8 earthquake in Crete created a tsunami that swept ships 2 miles inland in Egypt. On this day in 1786 the US Congress unanimously adopted the dollar as the monetary unit for America. This is the day in 1898 that W.K. Kellogg invented the corn flake. This is the day in 1925 that the 1st march of the Ku Klux Klan in Washington, D.C. took place. There were between 25,000 and 40,000 marchers. On this day in 1942, 6 Nazi saboteurs captured after landing in the US were executed. This is the day in 1945 that President Truman signed the United Nations Charter. On a more serious note, this is the day in 1960 that “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” went #1 on the charts. The dead people’s advice for today comes from 4 stoic philosophers. Over the years, they have shown me the path to happiness. Marcus Aurelius said, “If it is not right, do not do it. If it is not true, do not say it.” Seneca said, “No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power not to want what they don’t have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have.” Cato said, “I begin to speak only when I’m certain what I’ll say isn’t better left unsaid.” I’ll end with Epictetus who suggested that you should “First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” Abide.
