Thoughs on the Day (3/18)

Today is:

Awkward Moments Day
Heh. I've had a lot of "Awkward Moments" this year. I'm not the most graceful of people to begin with and what with all the ice we've had this year... oh, wait. They probably didn't meant that kind of awkward.

Johnny Appleseed Day
I've planted a few apple trees in my life, but I've planted a lot more pine trees. Pine grow fast and my folks wanted to set up some windbreaks around the house. They are all now very tall and beautiful. Did you know that when you plant small pine all you use is a flat-bladed spade? You jab it into the ground and push to make a v-shaped opening, remove the spade, insert the tree and then jab the spade into the ground again, to press another wedge of dirt up against the roots. It's all very quick and easy. The hardest part it hauling the water around to give them enough water to not dry up and die. Fresh plantings need lots of water.

First Walk in Space (in 1965)
I love space stuff. I feel it's unfortunate that the only time it gets in the news is when things are going wrong. I also think it's unfortunate that so many people don't know how many benefits we get from the space program. I do think it's cool that the private sector is getting involved. Space has to be part of our future. The world is so small when compared to the Universe, there is so much out there, we have to be able to get out and see it at some point.

National Biodiesel Day
This had to be started by the National Biodiesel Board. But since biodiesel is a very cool idea, I won't get too worked up about the obvious self-promotion.

Supreme Sacrifice Day
This has to be a really odd name for a day. Wouldn't "Martyr Day" be better? We already have Veteran's Day -- although that honors all vets, not just those who died. I can't see this working at all in the greeting card business, either. I doubt it will catch on.

Forgive Mom and Dad Day
I'm not sure what they are going for with this day as it's such a blanket statement, however, I'm going with the thought that there is not evil, here, to forgive, but rather to forgive our parents for the fault of being human. It's a concept that I've come to acknowledge as I grown in the role of being "mom". Most of the failings that we have as parents are small ones, easily blamed on stress and life and human failings.

It's odd, too, that its those small injustices and failings that hurt the most as children. Not having the money to go on a special school trip, having parent jobs that conflict with our childhood plans, having a parent forget a special event or having them not understand the pain that can be caused by the injustices of childhood. Perhaps our parents weren't as handsome or smart or well-off as the other people in town and we, as children, were the brunt of jokes for that. Perhaps our parents, even as adults, were no more able to solve problems of our lives than we were. Perhaps they shared our fears and therefore had no way to help us deal with them. It's easy to carry around those small wounds, nursed bigger with time, and to count our parents as inadequate in some way.

So perhaps a "Forgive Mom and Dad Day" isn't such a bad idea. To acknowledge that they did what they could, with the best of intentions, even if they couldn't be exactly what we would want them to be.

I sincerely hope that Myria can forgive me all the small wrongs that I have done her due to my weaknesses and faults.