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I wish I could remember what prompted this particular conversation, but Melissa and I talked about U.S. history a couple a few weekends ago. Specifically, she mentioned that U.S. secondary schools over-emphasize memorizing dates and not historical context. While I agreed, I pointed out that a large percentage of graduating high school students cannot identify the half-century in which the U.S. Civil War occurred. I didn't say decade, I said "half-century". Where else are we going to start but with dates?

The main reason I began to love history as a child is because, for whatever reason, I'm adept at remembering dates. Sure, context takes time and often changes as more information is gathered, but dates don't change.

On Saturday, Melissa and I watched Dinner for Five. Don't ask my why, but the Statue of Liberty came up. Ron Livingston tried to recall a date, couldn't, and quickly moved on. Sure of the decade of unsure of the year, I asked Melissa. Looking back, I should have made a side-bet. Immediately after asking, I remembered reading a book about Theodore Roosevelt three or four years ago and the date was mentioned. It stuck in my head apparently because my first guess was correct.

Can't remember where I put my car keys or my money-clip, but if you ever need to know when the Battle of Hastings was or when Hitler invaded Poland, I'm you're guy.

Another history lesson from years ago must've stuck in my head this morning. As I was lazily peeling myself from the covers this morning, I told Melissa if I could go back to any period in time, I'd choose the 1920's. She thought I said that because I love The Jazz Age. Not so much. That's when laws upholding the 8 hour workday and 5 day work week for the private sector were instituted. I wanted to continue that movement toward a 4 day work week instead.

When I got to work, I read that on May 1, 1884 the Federation of Organized Trade and Labor Unions signed the first proclamation demanding fair labor practices. It wasn't until a little more than three decades later their demands where incorporated into law.

But now that I look back on it, it's not so much historical synchronicity as it is grumbling to myself every Monday morning that work just plain sucks.