"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes, then fire low." so said Israel Putnam or, perhaps Colonel Wm. Prescott, to their exhausted, exhilarated troops on the morning of 17 June, 1775, Breed's Hill. General Putnam was 67 years old, seeing as he was born on the 5th of January, 1718. I'm thinking that New Orleans was founded that year. Benjamin Franklin was a 12-yr-old Boston boy... The old general had been mouldering in his grave, strolling the golden streets of the Blue Beyond for ten earthly years when Millard Fillmore was born in New York State, w/ no earthly idea that he'd become the 13th President of the United States and how would that happen? Because of his years spent pursuing law & politics + whatever was going on in the milk and cherries, consumed by 'Old Rough & Ready-or-not-you're-dead' Zachary Taylor, President No. 12, in July 1850. And, and, and proud, strong, baby-voiced, Miss Thelma "Butterfly" McQueen was born 100 years ago today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkUDjcXqyow

Many a soul came into and departed the world's stage, this vale of tears & wonder, through the door in the veil marked January 7. The fact remains that those about whom I've written had their time and never would have been remembered if they'd spent their earthly time pondering trivia. They got about their business, doing things worth remembering. So enough of this for now. I've conjured some characters and their story awaits the telling.