“The enduring appeal of the Charlie Chaplin tramp character is the fact that, at all times, he exuded pathos, humor and grace all welded together.” - Arnold Kunst

From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

June 14

In early 1860 during what turned out to be a spectacular speaking tour of New England, Lincoln was approached by the Reverend Mr. Gulliver who told him how impressed he was with the talk he had just heard Lincoln deliver. Lincoln was somewhat taken aback by such fulsome praise, so he asked him what he found so remarkable about his speech. Gulliver replied, “The cleanness of your statements, the unanswerable style of your reasoning, and, especially, your illustrations, which were romance and pathos and fun and logic all welded together.”

“God does not play dice with the universe.” – Albert Einstein

From “Me Too, 365,” by Arnold Kunst

13 June

“Be yourself; it’s a tough act to follow.” – Katherine Hepburn

“Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst

13 June

Life is a treasure hunt with things of beauty, exhilaration, abundance uniformly hidden in earth-tones, buried in the everlasting ordinariness of things.”

“A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” - Jack Dempsey

From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

June 13

At one point during the Civil War there was talk of a Southern woman spy in the White House. The Senate Committee on the Conduct of the War heard about it and held a secret session to look into allegations that Mrs. Lincoln, who was from the border state of Kentucky, was a disloyalist. One member of the committee told of what happened. “We had just been called to order by the Chairman, when the officer stationed at the committee room door came in with a half-frightened expression on his face. Before he had opportunity to make explanation, we understood the reason for his excitement, and were ourselves almost overwhelmed with astonishment. For at the foot of the Committee table, standing solitary, his hat in his hand, his form towering, Abraham Lincoln stood. Had he come by some incantation, thus of a sudden appearing before us unannounced, we could not have been more astounded. There was an almost inhuman sadness in his eyes; an indescribable sense of his complete isolation which the committee members felt had to do with fundamental senses of the apparition. No one spoke, for no one knew what to say. The President had not been asked to come before the Committee, nor was it suspected that he had information that we were to investigate reports, which, if true, fastened treason upon his family in the White House. At last the caller spoke slowly, with control, though with a depth of sorrow in the tone of voice: ‘I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, appear of my own volition before this Committee of the Senate to say that I, of my own knowledge, know that it is untrue that any of my family hold treasonable communication with the enemy.’ Having attested this, he went away as silent and solitary as he had come. We sat for some moments speechless. Then by tacit agreement, no word being spoken, the Committee dropped all consideration of the rumors that the wife of the President was betraying the Union. We were so greatly affected that the Committee adjourned for the day.”

“People living deeply have no fear of death.” - Anais Nin

“There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.” - Homer

From “Me Too, 365,” by Arnold Kunst

12 June

“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than alone in the light.” – Helen Keller

From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst

12 June

There are people I'm going to meet today, some of whom I have known before, and they are going to become my life-long friends. Today will begin with each of them - and continue with others met yesterday - a deep, wide-ranging and mutually fulfilling friendship we will cherish all the days of our lives.

“Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.” - Billy Graham

From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

June 12

“Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.” - Abraham Lincoln