Why do we celebrate the new year on January 1st? In fact New Year's Day is the closest thing to being the world's only true global public holiday. It's because of the Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome which set January 1st as a first day of the new year. The Romans celebrated New Year's Day in honor of Janus. Janus is the God who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking…
In going through a speech file I read a few items that either made me smile or which I thought had a message of interest. so here they are. They are not in any particular order nor very significant, but you might enjoy them too. In a TED talk by Dr. Abraham Verghese he about the importance of listening to patients and a doctor’s touch. He argued that when doctors shortcut the physical exam, when they lean towards ordering tests…
In the 15th Century it was accepted by navigators and ship captains that it was impossible to sail any further South than Cape Bojador off the coast of Africa. The winds and tidal currents off the cape were dangerous and resulted in numerous expeditions being sent from Portuguese ports to attempt the passage only to have them never return. It was also accepted that this represented the end of the world. Even if a ship got past the Cape the…
Many of us can point to one person or perhaps several people who played significant roles in our life. People who made the difference at a tipping point in our lives. Someone whose words or actions changed our attitude and the direction of our life for the better. For me, after my parents, it is a short list of those who had a very significant influence on my life. It includes a third grade teacher, a high school basketball coach, a…
America Public media through the North Carolina National Public Radio produces a wonderful program, The Story (http://thestory.org/) in which Dick Gordon interviews people who tell extraordinary stories about their lives. One recent program was a story about a wrestler Josh Cagle and his coach Ed Kane. When Cagle wrestled as a youngster he was a scrawny kid who couldn’t win a match. In spite of consistent loses Cagle refused to give up. A wrestling coach Ed Kane was so impressed with this…
My childhood hero was Glenn Cunningham who died in 1988. When he was seven years old his legs were burned in a schoolhouse fire which killed his brother. His legs were burned so badly that the doctors recommended amputation but his parents wouldn't allow it. The doctors said he would never walk again because he had lost the flesh on his legs and the arch of his left foot was virtually gone. In spite of the doctor's prediction his parents massaged him, worked…
WD-40 ®) was invented the year I graduated from high school, 1953. It was created by the Rocket Chemical Company, a small lab in San Diego, its staff of only three people. WD stands for "water displacement." The chemist who help develop the product was attempting to create a formula to prevent corrosion by displacing water and moisture. However, it’s the "40" in the name that has significance, at least for me. It took forty attempts before it was successful….
Roger Rosenblatt has written some sound advice in his piece "rules for aging," Here’s a summary of some of the rules he advocates: 1. It doesn’t matter. Whatever you think matters really doesn’t. 2. Yes, you did. If you have the slightest doubt whether you are responsible for a wrong – you are. Come to this conclusion early and act to correct it. 3. Nobody is thinking about you. I promise you, nobody is thinking about you. They are too…
