Today, I am thankful for those who have the courage to correct their prior mistakes.
We all have wonderful ideas. But, have you ever admitted to yourself that some of your ‘wonderful’ ideas were, quite frankly, anything but wonderful? It's naturally difficult to come to the stark realization that you selected a flawed path. But, sometimes, the best thing you can do is take a deep breath, swallow your wounded pride, and admit the truth: “Well, that did not go as planned.” Without a doubt, hindsight is 20/20 vision, and none of us truly has prescient thinking. Our society is filled with Monday morning quarterbacks. But, let’s be honest: Anyone can be an armchair analyst on Monday – it’s a lot harder to play the game on Sundays.
We all desperately wish we could predict the future. On more than one occasion, I’ve explained to my children that if I had such an extraordinary capability, I’d probably live in Las Vegas (and be much richer than I currently am). But, unlike the Greek priestess Cassandra, I lack the gift of clairvoyance. I’m perfectly fine with this limitation, as I’m not sure foresight is such a welcomed skill. For those of you who are well versed in Greek mythology, you’re fully aware that Cassandra’s life was filled with angst and misery. Although she could accurately predict the future, she was cursed because no one would ever believe any of her prophecies. So, she went mad.
Be careful what you wish for.
Fortunately, society recognizes we are all flawed; in fact, society even expects we will make mistakes. However, when we repeat our blunders or fail to course correct our prior errors, society’s empathy for us rightfully wanes. If you look back at historical events that have transpired on this day, we can learn much about the power of correcting ill-conceived decisions of the past. And we can do so in the context of some relatively controversial topics – drugs, sex, and alcohol. Don’t worry – I’ll tread lightly.
When television came into our living rooms in the mid 1950s, there was little regulation as to who could advertise on this new medium. Companies such as Philip Morris & R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company began marketing heavily on television, pushing their ‘healthy’ Marlboros and Camels on an unaware public. At around the same time, emerging public health data chronicled the long-term adverse effects of cigarette smoking. Fortunately, the United Kingdom recognized the error of such unfettered marketing, and, on this day (July 31), banned all cigarette advertising on British television. The United States would eventually follow suit in 1970.
Today also happens to be the day that another bad idea finally met its demise. After much public criticism, Hugh Hefner and his Playboy company closed its last all-male revue club in Lansing, Michigan, on this day (July 31) in 1988. The idea that places should ever exist where men interact with women dressed as 'bunnies' is downright frightening. Sadly, the Company actually attempted to resurrect the Playboy clubs, first in Las Vegas (in 2012) and then in New York City (in 2018). Both have since closed their doors. Such exotic clubs weren’t a bright idea then, and they’re still not a bright idea today.
Finally, I need to take a moment to celebrate another important milestone – the 50th anniversary of Black Tot Day. After the British Royal Navy came into existence in the 16th Century, they instituted the common practice of offering a daily ration of alcohol to all English sailors. At that time, in an effort to ensure its seamen were well hydrated, British admirals offered a gallon of beer every day to each of its sailors (!). Fortunately, at that time, the beer had an alcohol content of less than 1%. However, by 1655, it came to pass that storing so much beer on a ship was problematic. Moreover, beer would often sour quickly beneath the decks of hot ships, even when prepared as ‘pale ales.’ So, that year, a decision was made by the Royal Navy to switch to a daily ration of a half pint of rum, affectionately known as a ‘tot’. Sadly, rum’s higher alcoholic content resulted in another problem – public drunkenness. So, in 1740, Admiral Edward Vernon ordered that the tot of rum be mixed with 4 parts of water, and then distributed twice daily to all naval members. Unfortunately, this measure was really just a stopgap, as disciplinary actions against drunken seamen failed to stem. So, in 1824, the content of rum in the tot was reduced to a quarter pint daily. A few decades later, the daily rum content was decreased even further to one-eighth a pint. Quite amazingly, the Royal Navy continued on this same path for another 100 years before the Admiralty Board finally came to the realization that distributing any alcohol to its recruits was really a bad idea: “The Admiralty Board concludes that the rum issue is no longer compatible with the high standards of efficiency required now that the individual's tasks in ships are concerned with complex, and often delicate, machinery and systems on the correct functioning of which people's lives may depend". Much to the chagrin of many Royal Navy recruits, the House of Commons agreed with the Admiralty Board. On this day (July 31) in 1970, at exactly 11 AM, the Royal Navy proffered the last tot to its mighty mariners. The Royal Canadian Navy followed suit two years later, but the Royal New Zealand Navy held out for some time. The Kiwi too finally caved in 1990.
So, today, I’m grateful to those intrepid souls who have the steadfast resolve and staunch courage to recognize they’ve erred and choose to alter course. Wallowing in misery over a bad decision is never productive. Letting it propagate into perpetuity is even worse. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to accept your lumps, let go of the past, and start over.
Happy Black Tot Day, my good mates!
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