A brief homage to Armistice Day.
We stop to remember the end of World War I, which occurred on this date, November 11, 1918. A few of my ancestors fought in that terrible war. I hope we never see another World War. Ever.
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Many things in everyday life happened before the war, and many things have happened since. We continue to walk through them.
All sorts of things. And. Here are a few.
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The verb “unfriend” appeared in 1659. It happens all the time now on social media. People “friending” one another. Then “unfriending.” I’ve been unfriended on occasion. I write a blog. Sometimes I say things that people don’t agree with. And then. Boom. Boom. Out go the lights.
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Someone who didn’t have to worry too much about how many friends he had was Bob Hope. Funny guy and a great entertainer. As Bob lay on his deathbed in 2003, his wife Dolores asked where he’d like to be buried. His reply: “Surprise me.”
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The Eiffel Tower gets taller. Yes, during the summer months, it can be up to 8 inches taller. Of course, it’s because of the thermal expansion. When iron, or anything else for that matter, heats up, its tiny atoms gain kinetic energy. They start dancing around basically, and they take up more space. Getting jiggy with it. Inch by inch.
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Speaking of little particles. I just learned that Trypophobia is the fear of closely-packed holes. It is “an aversion to the sight of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes.”
I guess I don’t get it. Wouldn’t a bunch of tightly packed holes just be one big hole? And with nothing there, what’s to fear?
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Human teeth are the only part of the body that cannot heal themselves. Break one, chip one, crack one? The dentist is your only hope. It is because teeth are coated in enamel. And enamel is not living tissue. This is true for all mammals. I’m not sure about bird teeth, snake teeth, and on.
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I recently read that people are more creative in the shower. When we take a warm shower, we supposedly experience an increased dopamine flow that makes us more creative. I take two showers a day, on average. One in the morning, first thing. And one in the evening before I put my jammies on. I haven’t noticed any onslaught of creative ideas at those times. But I’ve been doing this for years and years. Maybe my dopamine is tired.
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Nutmeg is a hallucinogen. Truly. The spice contains myristicin, a natural compound with mind-altering effects if taken in large doses. This has to be the explanation for all those Pumpkin Spice Lattes that everyone drinks. It may also explain the popularity of Skyline Chili.
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And finally. A walk will always do us good. The longer, the better.
The world’s longest walking distance is 14,000 miles. You can walk from Magadan in Russia to Cape Town in South Africa. This walk requires no flying or sailing – just bridges and open roads. Move along.
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And now I’ll be moving it along. So until then, remember the Armistice. Remember Peace.
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“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”
― John Muir
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“There comes . . . a longing never to travel again except on foot.”
― Wendell Berry
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“Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.”
― Steven Wright
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Peace. Teeth. Hallucinate. Tall iron. Oh, the world.
