Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, said that about today. The question is how did he know about three decades in advance that the date was going to be so important. Coincidentally, the small event that led FDR to make that speech also happened a little after 11, Pakistan Standard Time. Of course, there’s the issue of AM and PM there. The minor incident happened at 11pm of what would years later become Pakistan time (8am Hawaii time) while the infamous incident 3 decades later happened at 11:15am Pakistan time, which is about the same time as right now.
That fateful day was an election day in Pakistan, elections which had been postponed due to floods; elections that were the first real and proper elections in the 23 year old Pakistan; elections which led to an army operation, massacres and the creation of Bangladesh, but more on that later in 9 days. Right now, we must focus on today’s date because even those historic elections were not the reason for the date’s infamy.
No, it wasn’t even the Indonesian invasion of East Timor or the birth of Leopold Kronecker or Noam Chomsky or the death of Wolfgang Paul.
It was closer to home and much more important. And today, in honor of that date that will live in infamy, the Kid wants me to have lots of toys to play with.
The suspense is killing me…
Ahhh…right… I think the two of you should play battleship while eating some cake. (Ugh! I think my veteran grandfather just roled over in his grave. Sorry, Grandpop!) Anyway, I know what to say, but I will let you string this along for as many posts as you desire. 😉
I am very very late my dear son, over 4 days.
Very happy birthday. May you have much happier birthdays in future. I am stuck up these days in domestics. Not sorry to reveal. Ha!
Faraz: It was my birthday.
Captain Arrrgh and Dad: Thanks.