April 17th. What major events happened on this day?

1790: Founding Father Benjamin Franklin died. 1961: A CIA-sponsored paramilitary group of Cuban exiles land in the Bay of Pigs. 1964: The Ford Mustang is introduced to the North American market.

MY NATALITY DAY!

Anyone born in April has the Diamond birthstone. Diamond comes from the Greek word “adamas,” which means “invincible” or “unbreakable.”

As diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth, it is a perfect fit for my personality. I am laser-focused on the views that I hold. I don’t follow the herd on what I believe or rely solely on social media outlets on what I embrace. A good example of this character trait is how firmly I’ve written letters to the editors on the devastation that communism has brought to the once prosperous Cuba BC (Before Castro). My political affiliation never played a role on these views. The 2009 letter that I penned for Cigar Aficionado magazine shows that I tell it like it is.

As a son of the Aries horoscope sign, I’m energetic, independent, action-oriented, loyal, confident, impulsive with a strong belief in carpe diem or seizing the moment, don’t follow the herd but do my own research, fully aware that while you can always earn more money, you can never get back more time.

I put more emphasis on living the “now” – as “someday” is not a day in the calendar.

The ruling planet for Aries is Mars — whose name comes from the Roman god of war. The ruling element is “fire.” Both of these contribute to make me a person who doesn’t shy away from standing on principle and arguing with passion and logic my views and values.

Red is the color of Aries, and it represents energy, initiative, and power. It is also the color that best represents conservatives in the United States, and it fits me well as I’ve always had conservative values.

I often ask myself what would the world look like without Aries people, and my answer is very depressing — “a total eclipse of the planet.” (LOL).

Among the Aries luminaries are Willy Chirino of “Nuestro Dia Ya Viene Llegando” fame, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, Toshiro Mifune, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Sandra Day O’Connor, and, believe it or not, Juan Ponce de León

As a reminder of my Ponce surname with the 16th century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, I claim that my youthful look has something to do with the secret of the “fountain of youth” – which is currently located in St. Augustine, Florida. But when I visited it, it looked like a pond with dirty water with no magical attributes. Having a youthful spirit is what counts the most.

Subsequently, I found solace in the following quote from wise “Italian” Sophia Loren: “There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” Amen to this!

I learned during my fall season that life is no longer about “chasing things” but about “choosing better.” Although during my earlier seasons, I was quite careful and picky about the things that I chased.

I try to aim my decisions and conduct by placing “self-respect” on a pedestal. I achieve this task by relying on the Judeo-Christian values found in the Bible and the Ten Commandments. While very difficult to follow at times, they serve as my compass to do the right thing.

I’ve been getting my hands on all the vitamin supplements that I could find and exercising regularly after reading the wonderful prediction by American computer scientist, author, inventor, and futurist Ray Kurzweil. He claims that humans will have the option to choose immortality by the year 2030! I have five years to consider whether I want to take advantage of this option or not. LOL!

Had Ray Kurzweil lived during the time that Egyptian pharaohs reigned, imagine how much money and stress he would have save them by convincing them of the futility of building the Giza pyramids as a repository of all the things that they would need to make a smooth transition to the afterlife. Think of how lucky we are!

And to those who wonder whether I’m related to the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, I respond that I am who I am: Jorge Ponce de La Habana. I’ve lived 60 years in the United States, but my Cuba BC (Before Castro) roots are very strong.

I want to thank in advance all those friends and acquaintances who offer me their best wishes on this day.

Cheers, Dale, and Pa’lante (Forward)!!!
Photo taken in 2022 in Greece.