Benjamin Franklin is one of the few people who have TWO birthdays.
What?
Ben Franklin was born on January 6, 1706. And Ben Franklin was born on January 17, 1706.
How’s that possible?
He has two birthdays because in 1752 England moved from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar and this skipped over 11 days.
So you can pick which one you want to celebrate. I celebrate both.
Now let me say I’m a huge fan of Ben Franklin. He never let anyone pigeon-hole him into just one specific category.
Here’s what I mean.
How could you define Benjamin Franklin?
Was he…
- the diplomat and statesman who was the only Founding Father to sign the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris (establishing peace with Great Britain), and the U.S. Constitution which brought life to a country committed to freedom?
- the inventor that gave the world the Franklin Stove which gave more heat with less smoke?
- the scientist who explained electricity using key words like ‘positive’, ‘negative’, ‘battery’, and ‘charge’?
- the originator of bifocals that allowed you to combine two types of glasses into one lens?
- the author of “Poor Richard’s Almanack” that gave people weather predictions, poems, jokes, and sayings?
- the developer of a flexible catheter he came up with when his brother was having trouble with kidney stones?
- the writer of his own autobiography that talks of his quest to become a better person and challenge others to do the same?
- the creator of the spinning glass armonica for which Mozart and Beethoven composed music?
- the founder of the University of Pennsylvania, America’s first university, which would train some of the greatest minds to shape this world?
The answer is yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and…yes.
Ben Franklin’s what you’d call a polymath. Someone whose knowledge spans a substantial number of topics.
And because of those wide-ranging interests, he left a profound mark on the world.
All the things he did can be summed up in one phrase from his biographer, J.A. Leo LeMay:
“He tried hard, and he meant to do good. He wanted to improve himself, others, and the world he lived in.”
Why did I tell you this story in the first place?
It probably explains why I’ve carried a Swiss Army knife in my pocket for the last 22 years. Having a knife that can do so many things makes me feel like “MacGyver” from the 80’s TV series. He’s another guy who could do a lot of different stuff.
Here’s the funny thing though…
Rarely do I use the ‘big blade’.
I tend to use the ‘small blade’ more. I call it the “Gumdrop blade” because I used the small blade to slice open the tape on boxes of books I got from a previous company I worked for. Gumdrop Books sells books to school and public libraries and I worked for them for 17 years. And opened a bunch of boxes of books.
In fact, I use the scissors the most. It’s amazing how often you need a small set of scissors for things both around the house and while out and about.
And when the girls were young, the tweezers got out many a splinter.
The model I carry is the Victorinox Swiss Army Climber Pocket Knife.
It has 14 tools that come in handy as you go through your day.
Perfect for males or females. For your pocket, or handbag, or backpack.
Know that you’ll always be prepared when you carry a Swiss Army Knife.
Be Safe, Have Fun,
Darren Bayne
