Sometimes, It’s Good to Take a Breath…

 

I turn 54 today.  So does Lucy Liu (American actress).  Lucy and I share our December 2 birthday with Rick Savage (Def Leppard bass player), Britney Spears (American pop star), Monica Seles (Yugoslavian tennis player), Aaron Rogers (American football player), and Harry Reid (American cockroach).  Today is also the 199th anniversary of President Monroe’s speech in which he introduced the Monroe Doctrine. And it’s National Mutt Day, which seems appropriate given my genetic background. But overall, December second appears to be a relatively uneventful day, from an historical perspective.

On the other hand, it was on December 2, 1961, when Fidel Castro declared that Cuba was now a Marxist-Leninist nation.  And it was on December 2, 1970, when Nixon’s Environmental Protection Agency began operation. It’s depressing to think about which of those two events was more damaging to The United States.

But regardless, it was a great day for a birthday, as a kid. In Ohio, deer season started the Monday after Thanksgiving, which was often my birthday.  There was no school on the first day of deer season (because nobody would have showed up anyway).  And I often had gotten a new hunting knife or a new gun for my birthday.  So I got to stay home from school and go deer hunting all day with my new gun – an absolutely spectacular day for a 12-year-old boy.

It was more fun when all I cared about was going hunting, and when I didn’t care about Castro or the EPA.  My birthdays were better then.  In fact, most days were better then.

So that’s my plan for today.  Just enjoy the day.

I’ve been trying to step away from this stuff.  You may have noticed that I haven’t posted much recently.  I’m sure I’ll be back.

But I need a break.

I wish I were a 12-year-old with a new gun again.  That was great.

But things are pretty good now, too.  If I can just learn to focus on the things I can control, and the things that make me happy.  And try to ignore the rest.

From time to time, it’s good to take a breath…

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  1. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Join the clock tower club, and spend the rest of your life with your rifle.

    • #1
  2. The Great Adventure Inactive
    The Great Adventure
    @TGA

    My birthday is Oct 3.  On that date in 1995 OJ Simpson was acquitted of murdering 2 people.  On that date in 2008 OJ Simpson was convicted of armed robbery & kidnapping.  I’ve always found that little factoid rather ironic.

    • #2
  3. Chowderhead Coolidge
    Chowderhead
    @Podunk

    Happy Birthday!! Wow, Lucy Liu still looks great. Ricochet is fantastic, but everyone needs to step back now and then and enjoy what we do have while we still have it.

    • #3
  4. Blondie Thatcher
    Blondie
    @Blondie

    Happy Birthday, Doc! Enjoy your day. Sometimes we all just have to take a break. Or I might say, we should take a break. Life’s too short to worry about stuff 24/7. I’m looking forward to being able to say “What’s a weekend?” like Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey

    • #4
  5. The Great Adventure Inactive
    The Great Adventure
    @TGA

    Oh, and Happy Birthday Doc!

    • #5
  6. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Chowderhead (View Comment):
    Happy Birthday!! Wow, Lucy Liu still looks great.

    Thanks, Chowderhead.  Thanks a lot… 

    • #6
  7. Ekosj Member
    Ekosj
    @Ekosj

    Many happy returns of the day Doc!   

    And thanks for the deer season flashback.   My side of the family were fishermen only. But my grandfather (the Mad Russian about whom I’ve written here before)  served as camp cook for the extended family hunting trips.   When I was old enough I’d go along as assistant cook and dishwasher.   I remember making biscuits and gravy in the dark at some ridiculous hour of the morning.   And venison liver with bacon and onions if someone got a buck.   And fishing for holdover brown trout with The Russkie in ice cold streams while everyone else was out hunting.  I adored the quiet of the late fall/winter woods.    

    Nice memories.

    • #7
  8. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Happy birthday! It’s a beautiful day for a birthday. It will be fun for you to talk to your kids. :) I really enjoy talking to my kids on my birthday. They call me for a change. Yay! :) 

    • #8
  9. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    I only read this post because I thought it was going to be about Lucy Liu.  Happy birthday anyway.

    • #9
  10. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Happy Birthday!

    • #10
  11. Phil Turmel Inactive
    Phil Turmel
    @PhilTurmel

    Dr. Bastiat: and Harry Reid (American cockroach)

    great setup for this zinger.

    And happy birthday!

    My little sister turned 54 a few days ago.  I tell her every year that she’s catching up to me.  (I’m 55, b’day in April.)  So doc, you’re catching up to me. (:

    • #11
  12. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Happy Birthday, Doc. I’ve convinced myself that my writing is part of my coping skills. Probably just kidding myself . . . 

    • #12
  13. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Phil Turmel (View Comment):
    My little sister turned 54 a few days ago.  I tell her every year that she’s catching up to me.  (I’m 55, b’day in April.)  So doc, you’re catching up to me. (:

    There was a great old comedy routine – Laurel and Hardy, or somebody like that:

    “Ok, so when I was 20, you were 10, so you were half my age.  Then, when I was 30, you were 20, so you were 2/3 my age.  Then, when I was 40, you were 30, so you were 3/4 my age.  Ok – so how old will we be when we’re the same age?”

    • #13
  14. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    Isn’t it great to think about those simple, wonderful birthdays we had as kids? I invited my two best friends over for cake and we played fun games once. My aunt said what happened to the birthday cake? She left it to me and I naturally cut it in thirds! Kids still see the world like that and I think that’s the secret of staying young. It’s their look of wonder at everything and being silly.  

    So Happy Birthday Doc and eat a really big piece of cake then get out the games!

    • #14
  15. Charlotte Member
    Charlotte
    @Charlotte

    HBD!

    My birthday is the date of the Boston Massacre and the death of Josef Stalin.

    So there!

    • #15
  16. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Dr. Bastiat: You may have noticed that I haven’t posted much recently. 

    Yes, I had noticed.

    I’m sure I’ll be back.

    Good!

    • #16
  17. Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr. Coolidge
    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.
    @BartholomewXerxesOgilvieJr

    Chowderhead (View Comment):

    Happy Birthday!! Wow, Lucy Liu still looks great.

    Lucy Liu will still look great in a thousand years.

     

    • #17
  18. Al French Moderator
    Al French
    @AlFrench

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    Phil Turmel (View Comment):
    My little sister turned 54 a few days ago. I tell her every year that she’s catching up to me. (I’m 55, b’day in April.) So doc, you’re catching up to me. (:

    There was a great old comedy routine – Laurel and Hardy, or somebody like that:

    “Ok, so when I was 20, you were 10, so you were half my age. Then, when I was 30, you were 20, so you were 2/3 my age. Then, when I was 40, you were 30, so you were 3/4 my age. Ok – so how old will we be when we’re the same age?”

    Ask Zeno.

    Happy birthday.

    • #18
  19. Chowderhead Coolidge
    Chowderhead
    @Podunk

    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr. (View Comment):

    Chowderhead (View Comment):

    Happy Birthday!! Wow, Lucy Liu still looks great.

    Lucy Liu will still look great in a thousand years.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOn_ySghN2Y

    My favorite Futurama clip….

     

    • #19
  20. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Charlotte (View Comment):

    HBD!

    My birthday is the date of the Boston Massacre and the death of Josef Stalin.

    So there!

    Mine is Pearl Harbor Day. I think I win. Sigh. 

    • #20
  21. Red Herring Coolidge
    Red Herring
    @EHerring

    Happy birthday! You are only 54? You have so much wisdom for someone so young.

    I remember those days when I was in school. The students had their hunting rifles in their trucks and had “recess” after school. Rifle in a student’s truck seemed so normal, and right back then yet we were living with the Vietnam War news.

    I miss Lucy Liu on that TV show about Sherlock Holmes.

    • #21
  22. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    • #22
  23. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Happy Birthday, @drbastiat.

    My only son turned 52 last November 20. He shares that birthday with… President Biden.

    • #23
  24. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    I ran into a senior Biden appointee on the way downtown and mentioned your birthday and they (I forgot to ask for pronouns) said to pass on this birthday greeting.

    Or maybe he was just a homeless loon claiming to be a senior official. Really tough to tell anymore.

    • #24
  25. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    I ran into a senior Biden appointee on the way downtown and mentioned your birthday and they (I forgot to ask for pronouns) said to pass on this birthday greeting.

    Or maybe he was just a homeless loon claiming to be a senior official. Really tough to tell anymore.

    Oh, man, I love it. Get this to Mark Alexander.

    • #25
  26. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    I ran into a senior Biden appointee on the way downtown and mentioned your birthday and they (I forgot to ask for pronouns) said to pass on this birthday greeting.

    Or maybe he was just a homeless loon claiming to be a senior official. Really tough to tell anymore.

    Pretty sure that’s Richard Stallman.

    • #26
  27. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    Happy birthday, Doc!

    I’m a bit over a year ahead of you.  I turned 55 on Nov. 22, the same day and year as Mark Ruffalo (the actor who played Bruce Banner/Hulk).  It was Scarlett Johansson’s birthday, too, though she’s much younger.

    Wait ’til you’re 55.  You’ll get to order from the Senior Menu at IHOP!  Yippee!

    OK, maybe it’s not as good as being a 12-year-old with a new gun.  Or better yet, a 16-year-old with a car.  :)

    • #27
  28. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    MarciN (View Comment):

    Charlotte (View Comment):

    HBD!

    My birthday is the date of the Boston Massacre and the death of Josef Stalin.

    So there!

    Mine is Pearl Harbor Day. I think I win. Sigh.

    Mine is the day of Kennedy’s assassination, though not the same year.  Is that better, or worse, or whatever?

    • #28
  29. Al French Moderator
    Al French
    @AlFrench

    MarciN (View Comment):

    Charlotte (View Comment):

    HBD!

    My birthday is the date of the Boston Massacre and the death of Josef Stalin.

    So there!

    Mine is Pearl Harbor Day. I think I win. Sigh.

    9/11. Take that.

    • #29
  30. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    You also share a day with the deceased Gianni Versace, so maybe there is something to this astrology stuff.

    Have a good one!

     

    • #30
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