Curse-Breaking

You also know, of course, that as of tomorrow, we’ve got a new President here in the U.S. of A. (You may have heard?) I’m planning on taking an early, long lunch tomorrow so that I can actually watch the swearing in at noon … and see the Inaugural Address right afterward. Barack Obama gives such good speeches, and Inaugurals are traditionally HUGE and moving and historic. The speech of a lifetime (if you’re Abraham Lincoln, anyway.) I really, truly don’t want to  miss it and, darn it, the office can manage without me for a little bit.

You realize, of course, that–barring any terrible, unforeseen accidents–this means that the Curse of Tippecanoe truly is broken? You know, the one that meant that every U.S. President elected in a year ending with zero since 1840 has died in office. William Henry Harrison (1840), Abraham Lincoln (1860), James Garfield (1880), William McKinley (1900), Warren Harding (1920), Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1940), John F. Kennedy (1960).

It had been said, of course, that the curse had been broken by Ronald Reagan’s having survived his assassination attempt in 1981, but … how could you know? You couldn’t really say one way or another until or unless the President elected in 2000 survived his full term. And since we’re into the last hours of George W. Bush’s presidency … I’m willing to say that it looks pretty promising.

See? We’re seeing all SORTS of new history tomorrow!! And, frankly, seeing this 160-year old tradition die is much better than seeing more Presidents die. (Because, no, even though I have not been fond of George Bush, there’s no way I ever wished him to fall victim to this curse. I wouldn’t have wanted Al Gore to die, either.)

(So, what did this have to do with writing and manners? Nothing whatsoever. But, gosh, it’s HISTORY. But if you insist, would you send good luck my way? I’ve got an interesting prospect for my freelancing business … as in, really interesting, fun, and I WANT this job! So … if you wanted to send along some good luck, um….)