It's Now Or Never...
I could apply that phrase to a LOT of what's been going on either here in Ft. Wayne, across our nation, or even the world.
We all need to make some decent choices in the near future, some good, some...not so good, but all for the sake of preserving our ways of life.
And by our way of life, I mean those guaranteed RIGHTS in our founding documents...LIFE, LIBERTY and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
But the title phrase of this post means something else on this day, and it's a pretty big deal.
-- (Gold was discovered in the YUKON, right Bob?)
Well, yeah, that DID happen on this day back in 1896, and made some folks rich.
Leave it to one George Carmack to spot some gold nuggets in a creek bed, and well, the rest IS history, as they say.
And after all this time, about 200 small mines STILL operate in the Klondike region.
(Lord knows we can use more gold)
But that's not THE most important aspect to this day....
These are a few of the things that happened today (in years past)
-- Legendary slugger Babe Ruth died on this day in NYC at age 53 (1948)
-- The Battle of Bennington, Vt was fought during the Revolutionary War (1777) - BTW, we WON that one.
-- The Original Siamese twins (Eng and Chang Bunker) arrived in Boston (1829), and their fused liver is still in a jar in the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, and I have seen that a few times in my travels...amazing to see. They are "formally" buried in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. They had 21 children.
(don't ask, I have NO idea...)
-- (Today marks the anniversary of the FIRST issue of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, right Bob?)
Well, yes, THAT also happened on this day back in 1954, and it has become THE single most read sports publication...especially it's yearly SWIMSUIT ISSUE (though I doubt if that issue is really "read" that much...lol)
This day has an even more important tone to it, aside from bikini-clad beauties...
-- (Algeria was admitted to the Arab league, right Bob?)
Well, you're getting warmer.
That happened in 1962, and we all know how WELL Algeria's done since then, right?
No, we're still missing a very big day...think "music"...
Today marks the anniversary of the DEATH of none other than ELVIS PRESLEY at his home in Graceland back in 1977.
I grew up listening to his music all over the place. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing one of his songs...he was that prolific on the radio.
And my Mom loved his music. She would get the LPs, so she would play them on our stereo, a Zenith floor model with opening louvres for the speakers - it was a damn piece of FURNITURE...that played music (radio and record player).
I remember where I was when we heard this come over the news...
I was running my company's mainframe at the Philadelphia Public Ledger Bldg downtown.
(when computers took up a whole ROOM, were a LOT easier to handle..and rarely broke down)
There were actually people in our building crying over the loss of such an icon.
And to think that Elvis died at age 42...!
Cripes, here I am, sixteen years PAST that year (and fast rolling up on the nineteenth anniversary of my 40th birthday in less than a week...lol)
Back then, we didn't think of that as dying "AS YOUNG", as when we get older, and look BACK.
And a legend was gone...that fast.
I really don't know anyone that disliked ALL of Elvis's music...there were some songs way better than others, and certain songs which invoked that emotional response we all have.
My favorite Elvis song is not really one of the traditional R&R songs he cranked out, but rather a gospel song he performed, called Peace In The Valley.

To me, that is one beautiful song, and he does it proud whenever I hear it again.
Not to sound macabre, but if I had one song to play at my funeral, THAT would be it...and done BY ELVIS.
Naturally, I think many of his songs are marvelous, and I think I have seen ALL his movies more than several times each.
Sure, they were campy, and had a bevy of beauties in them, along with some fun songs and fantastic scenery, but they were fun flicks (thanks to Hal Wallis). Only guy I knew that ran a tuna boat in Hawaii and sung his way through life's ups and downs...LOL.
Be nice if WE could do that, hmm?
Elvis was one of those people that only comes along ONCE....no matter how many lifetimes pass.
Another fantastic song of his was AMERICAN TRILOGY...

The songs he recorded all those years ago have those timeless aspects to them...still every bit as good NOW as they were then.
So today, we remember the man...the music...and the memories....
And God, could that boy SING...
So, here's to some beginnings, some endings, and a whole lot of "in-between" among the mix.
Let in not be said that TODAY isn't chock full of stuff.
(and it's ONLY Tuesday)
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there,America.