January 17, 2020--Happy Birthday Ben Franklin

Today is the birthday of Benjamin Franklin, American inventor, journalist, printer, diplomat, author, founding father , and my hero. I even have a small bronze bust of him sitting on my coffee table. He was born January 17, 1706.

When Ben was 27 years old he began writing and publishing:
 Poor Richard's Almanack.  The "Almanack" consisted of poems, puzzles, jokes, household hints, and weather. But, what has carried down through history are the little proverbs that Ben put in as filler. He based many of his maxims in the “Poor Richard’s Almanack” from Native American traditions, common legends and superstitions of his day, public speeches, and works of other published authors. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

• The noblest question in the world is, What Good may I do in it?
• Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
• Fear to do ill, and you need fear naught else.
• If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough always proves little enough. Let us then up and be doing, and doing to the purpose; so by diligence shall we do more with less perplexity.
• Work as if you were to live 100 years, Pray as if you were to die To-morrow.
• Silence is not always a Sign of Wisdom, but Babbling is ever a Mark of Folly.
• You may give a Man an Office, but you cannot give him Discretion.

Happy Birthday Ben!!