This Day in History April 28, 1985

To my fellow Canadians, this is a date that is special to your country.  Why?  On this date in 1985, the very first National Day of Mourning was first observed.  This is a day in which those who have been killed or injured on the job are remembered.  Since it started in Canada, this is now a day that is observed by over 80 countries.  According to statistics, four workers in Canada die every day.  Over the past 15 years, workplace fatalities in Canada are on the rise.   I honestly had no idea this was happening.  I never thought about it, but this sounds very high.  One can only hope that this statistic will go down as labor laws are enforced.  I am rather surprised by all of this, but I guess it is something that is not really talked about.  Then again, I don't live in Canada.  I wonder how many die in the U.S. each year from on-the-job accidents or occupational diseases.  If the statistics are accurate, in 2010, an average of 13 workers died every year on the job.  Wow!  I had no idea!  Interesting how this never gets press coverage, eh?

For more information:
http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Job-Safety/Death-on-the-Job-Report
http://www.canadianlabour.ca/issues/day-mourning
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1152181/government-of-canada-remembers-on-national-day-of-mourning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_of_Mourning_(Canadian_observance)
http://www.famousdaily.com/april28.html

This Day in History March 30, 2005

Yet another story I should remember but don't.  On this date in 2005, Terri Schiavo died in hospice care after having her feeding tube removed for the second time.  This was a huge case where the government and family were very involved, and right-to-die was the main issue here.  Four years earlier, her tube had been removed at the request of her husband, but it was replaced just days later.

I read through a lot about this case, and I will leave the links for you to read.  Evidently, back in 1990, she had suffered some kind of collapse, and oxygen had been cut off to her brain for some time.  This meant severe brain damage, and following her death, it was confirmed that no therapy would have been able to help this.  Her husband and her family were at odds about this.  The religious community was up in arms, and it was a big case (that I don't even remember).

Read much more at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Schiavo_case
http://www.wnd.com/2005/03/29516/
http://famousdaily.com/history/terry-schiavo-dies-hospice.html

Consider Funeral Insurance For Your Loved Ones' Peace of Mind

It is said that there are two things in life that everyone has to face--taxes and death.  Some people have figured out how to keep from paying taxes, but so far, no one has cheated death.  It will come to all of us--that is the grim reality.  I know that death is something that we don't like to talk about, but we need to spend some time preparing our family members for this unavoidable event.

When I consider my own death, I am comforted because I know where I am going.  I don't want to get into a philosophical discussion about this, but "when I get where I'm going," I will leave the pain of this world behind.  Unfortunately, my loved ones will have to deal with what I have left behind (my possessions) and the expense of a funeral.  I have not looked into the cost of a funeral, but I know it keeps going up.  It makes me want to consider funeral insurance so that my loved ones aren't saddled with these major costs.  There will be enough to take care of after my death, and I don't want this to be an added burden.  While funeral insurance may seem like something morbid to think about, I believe it can show your loved ones that you are taking care of them and caring for their needs even after you have shuffled off this mortal coil.

Pump Up Your Book Presents Twelve Months Virtual Book Tour 2012

ABOUT TWELVE MONTHS
Don DiMarco has a very good life – a family 
he loves, a comfortable lifestyle, passions and interests that keep him amused. He also thought he had time, but that turned out not to be the case. Faced with news that might have immediately felled most, Don now wonders if he has time enough. Time enough to show his wife the romance he didn’t always lavish on her. Time enough to live out his most ambitious fantasies. Time enough to close the circle on some of his most aching unresolved relationships. Summoning an inner strength he barely realized he possessed, Don sets off to prove that twelve months is time enough to live a life in full.
A glorious celebration of each and every moment that we’re given here on Earth, as well as the eternal bonds that we all share, Twelve Months is a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit.

Join Steven Manchester, author of the fiction novel, Twelve Months, as he tours the blogosphere August 13 – October 12, 2012 on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

Twelve Months by Steven Manchester

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very rarely do I find a book that causes real tears to fall from my eyes, but this is indeed a book that accomplished this feat.  This is one of those books that I think has something for everyone, and the message is timeless.  It goes right in line with Tim McGraw's Song "Live Like You Were Dyin.'"  The difference is that Don has but 12 months to live.  And he has decided to live now that he is dying.

There were a few activities that did not interest me as much as others--for sure.  But that is what gives this book its distinctive air.  There is some minimal profanity, but there are no sex scenes.  I truly appreciated the first person voice throughout most of the novel, but I was unsure about which person's voice told the last few pages.  It would have been nice to have that clarified.  The view of God is somewhat skewed in the book but not too bad for a secular novel.  I also would like to know how they had so much money!  The recession certainly has not affected them!

I think this book resonates with humanity.  Most of us have been touched by cancer in some way.  My grandfather and great-grandmother both died of colon cancer, and this gave me a glimpse into some of what they must have suffered.  The section on Vietnam opened my eyes to that little-talked-about conflict.  And Don's outlook on life in spite of his suffering completely humbled me. I was again reminded about my priorities in life.

If you are looking for a book that will truly touch you, I would recommend this book.  I think that anyone who has experienced any kind of loss will find this book a welcome release.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

View all my reviews

ABOUT STEVEN MANCHESTER

Steven Manchester is the author of Pressed Pennies, The Unexpected Storm: The Gulf War Legacy and Jacob Evans, as well as several books under the pseudonym, Steven Herberts. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of Steven’s short stories were selected “101 Best” for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or his four children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing.

To learn more about Steven, visit his website at: www.stevenmanchester.com

Follow the entire tour here.

This Day in History November 28, 1859

It probably seems morbid to mark the passing of someone on a this day in history segment, but then I don't think it is all that terrible.  I really don't even know much about the person who died on this date in 1859, but his picture is above.  Anyone recognize him?

I am sure most of us have heard of the stories he wrote:  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle amongst others.  Yes, it is Washington Irving.

He was born April 3, 1873 in New York City to wealthy Scottish-English immigrants.  As you might have guessed, he was named for George Washington (who met him and gave him his blessing in 1879).  He was the eleventh child in the family, and though he was often sickly, he was mischievous and often dreaming of far-off places (fueled by his love of Robinson Crusoe).  His parents were very charitable people, and he did study law (but he did not ultimately practice it).

He was an easygoing person who enjoyed several trips abroad throughout his lifetime. And, of course, that helped him to become one of the first American author to earn a literary reputation in Europe.  I had not realized that he actually wrote under a pseudonym--Geoffrey Crayon.  I would like to know what his thinking was behind that.  But I guess when you look at the time period, pseudonyms were the "in" thing, i.e,, Mark Twain, George Eliot, etc.  Kind of like it used to be the thing to take a stage name if one became an actor or a singer.

Interestingly enough, his first work was in 1802, Morning Chronicle, which was written under another pseudonym--Jonathan Oldstyle.  I think he must have enjoyed making up names.  These are not your normal pen names, I do not believe.  I even find this one somewhat humorous.  And I love this pen name:  Deidrich Knickerbacker.  I would say this man had quite a sense of humor!

I really am trying to keep this brief, but as I was scanning the biography, I discovered that he popularized the term "Gotham" for New York City!   He is also credited with coining the phrase "the Almighty dollar."  He also served as  Minster to Spain from 1842-1848. He did die on this date in 1859 in Tarrytown, New York--he was 76.

There is even more information on these sites if you are interested:
http://www.online-literature.com/irving/
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Washington_Irving
http://www.examiner.com/history-in-new-york/washington-irving-dies-tarrytown-ny