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I'm Slipping

I can't believe I missed Harper Lee's birthday. It was yesterday, and I spent the entire day being unaware. I acknowledged it last year, so I can only assume I'm slipping. Missing the birthday of one of my favorite authors made me wonder what else I missed yesterday. Here is what I let slip by:

Birthdays
• James Monroe
• Lionel Barrymore
• Oskar Schindler
• Saddam Hussein
• Indian Larry
• Jay Leno

Yesterday In History
• 1789—The crew of the Bounty mutinied against Captain Bligh
• 1930—the first night game of official baseball; Independence, Kansas
• 1945—Benito Mussolini and his girlfriend were executed. After the War, my father brought home a photo of their bodies being dragged through the streets.
• 1952—The US ends its occupation of Japan. That helps to date my china tea cups that are marked with "Made in Occupied Japan."

Yesterday was also National Cracker Day and National Poetry Reading Day. I feel as if I let so many notable events and occasions and subjects go by without even noticing. It's like missing your mother's birthday, which I have never done, but I can imagine you'd feel really bad the next day. And you can't go back and fix it. Sending a belated card or calling late only rubs in the salt. All you can do is make a note in next year's calendar and make sure you don't make the same mistake twice.

There are tricks to remembering where you put your keys and where you parked your car at the mall. You can use mnemonic devices to remember the names of people you have just met. The salon where I get my hair cut calls two days before my appointment as a reminder. With all the aids out there to help out a failing memory, there must be some way to remember important historical events on the calendar.

Well, I won't make that same mistake today—I'm on the ball this morning, so I won't have to be embarrassed tomorrow. Today is Duke Ellington's birthday and the anniversary of the day Alfred Hitchcock died. And, it's National Zipper Day.

Have you ever forgotten a major event?

Comments

savannah said…
just yesterday when asked, i forgot my own birthday...(12/31/49)

now that's sad, sugar...really sad!
xox
Anonymous said…
Hey scout,just dropping in to say hi.
Yep,I forget to blog all the time.
Bad kate xoxox
I'm sure i do but i've forgotten what they are! ;)
Lulubelle B said…
Mark your calendars - let's celebrate next April 28th by reading poetry aloud with mouths full of crackers. ;^D
Mrs. G. said…
Well, Happy Birthday Harper Lee. My daughter wrote her a fan letter many years ago and sent it to her publisher. They sent it back-she is apparently reclusive.
dive said…
National Cracker Day?

National Zipper Day?

Sheesh!
And Robyn … Hang your head in shame! You are Harper Lee's greatest fan!
Happy birthday Saddam...where ever you are.

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