Thought for today:
Everyone knows that the former American President, Theodore Roosevelt was primarilly responsible for the introduction of the word Teddy Bear into the vocabulary of the western world. What the general public is less likely to know about him is that he had a number of 'firsts' which made him a most unusual man for his time.
He was the first president ever to travel outside the continental United States while in Office. He was the first American ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize; he was the first president ever to fly in an airplane when the Wright brothers took him on a four minute flight in October 1910, and he was the youngest president at the age of 42 years to assume Office. Even John F. Kennedy who was the youngest president to be elected to Office was 43 years old when he eventually assumed Office.
Of all the facts I ever learned about Roosevelt however, the one that has always endeared me to the man has been having his name attached to our much loved teddy bear. The teddy is probably the most cuddled thing that the world has ever known. It is introduced into our lives during our childhood and often remains there from cradle to grave. Even the fact that Roosevelt became blind in his left eye as the result of a boxing injury he sustained while in Office makes him just one more teddy who lost a limb or an eye during the fray of everyday life!
If there was only one thing from the whole of creation that I could claim responsibility for, I would clearly love to have been the person responsible (however indirectly), for having introduced the world to the practice of giving and receiving 'cuddles.' What a thing to be remembered; for when all the water has drained from the cooking pot and life's balanced sheet is eventually accounted for." William Forde: August 13th, 2014.
Everyone knows that the former American President, Theodore Roosevelt was primarilly responsible for the introduction of the word Teddy Bear into the vocabulary of the western world. What the general public is less likely to know about him is that he had a number of 'firsts' which made him a most unusual man for his time.
He was the first president ever to travel outside the continental United States while in Office. He was the first American ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize; he was the first president ever to fly in an airplane when the Wright brothers took him on a four minute flight in October 1910, and he was the youngest president at the age of 42 years to assume Office. Even John F. Kennedy who was the youngest president to be elected to Office was 43 years old when he eventually assumed Office.
Of all the facts I ever learned about Roosevelt however, the one that has always endeared me to the man has been having his name attached to our much loved teddy bear. The teddy is probably the most cuddled thing that the world has ever known. It is introduced into our lives during our childhood and often remains there from cradle to grave. Even the fact that Roosevelt became blind in his left eye as the result of a boxing injury he sustained while in Office makes him just one more teddy who lost a limb or an eye during the fray of everyday life!
If there was only one thing from the whole of creation that I could claim responsibility for, I would clearly love to have been the person responsible (however indirectly), for having introduced the world to the practice of giving and receiving 'cuddles.' What a thing to be remembered; for when all the water has drained from the cooking pot and life's balanced sheet is eventually accounted for." William Forde: August 13th, 2014.
