's MOTD 9/4/2006

[Guest guest]

's Daily Message MondaySeptember 04, 2006LAST PICNIC OF SUMMER

Happy Labor Day! This holiday had anything but an easy labor. The observance began over 100 years ago. A lot of fighting happened back then that involved a famous strike by the American Railway Union. The strike became a national issue, and President Grover Cleveland sent troops to break it up.

The story is as long as the "Gone with the Wind" movie, so to sum it all up, on August 3, 1894, the strike was over, and there were a lot of national workers that were unhappy. President Cleveland wanted to bring some unity to the country, so he created a day where workers lay down their tools for a holiday and marched together around Union Square. Then they got mighty hungry, and after they finished, they went and enjoyed the last picnic of summer!

Today millions of Americans and Canadians will put down their tools and not labor today. Around this country are Labor Day Marches to commemorate the first Labor Day. And after everyone marches, they`ll all be very hungry and will also enjoy the last picnic of summer! I remember going to the city park in New Orleans when I was in elementary school, and I remember all the food that was laid out on that picnic table on every Labor Day.

Are you going on a picnic today? What are you making? I hope it`s something healthy! Did you ever overeat at a Labor Day picnic? Do you remember how much you gained eating at one Labor Day picnic? And just because you are not working today… most of you… don`t think you can just sprawl out on your sofa and watch the 42 shows you have recorded on TiVo. Today is a day you can get in a solid hour of exercise at one time or two 30-minute workouts – one pre-picnic, and one post-picnic!

Have a happy, healthy Labor Day!

Love,