On the evening of April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren summoned Paul Revere and gave him the task of riding to Lexington, Massachusetts, with the news that British soldiers stationed in Boston were about to march into the countryside northwest of the town. Paul Revere never shouted the legendary phrase later attributed to him “The British are coming!”
April 18, 1906, the San Francisco Earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, shook my now hometown and ranks as one of the most significant earthquakes of all time.
April 18, 1956, Actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco. They met filming the Hitchcock movie, To Catch a Thief (1955) in the French Riviera. For her, it was not love at first sight.
April 18 my birthday. I will not tell you what year I was born. Just let it be said that my good friend Steve Gerardi said, “You look like you are in your 40s…
You move around like you are in your 30’s…
You act like you are in your 20’s…”
Well, what else is a good friend going to tell you?
My brother Robert Fripp has been known to say, “Sister, you look good for your age.”
I once began a speech by saying, “When you count your riches, do you do it in money or memories?” Don’t get me wrong, we all need money. However, memories are the most precious of all treasures. On my birthday I send “Thanks for the memories” to my friends, family, clients, audiences, and colleagues in the National Speakers Association. I wish you all many precious memories that make you feel rich.
My good friend Linda Pulliam was staying with me when my friends organized a big 50th birthday bash. In fact, that year I celebrated for the entire year. She said, “Only three people remembered it was my birthday. How come you have hundreds?” My question was, “How many of your friends and family do you remind in advance? If they are interested, they will remember, If not they will not.”
Whenever your birthday is, celebrate all month. Or year?
