A Popular Day

You’d think that I might have chosen a less crowded day to be born.

Apparently, I was born on the already established birthdays of actors Danny Glover and Willem Dafoe, rocker Don Henley, Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, and designer Oscar de la Renta. It was a day that had already been staked out, too, by one of the most famous – and tragic – mothers in America: Rose Kennedy.

And, it’s the Feast Day of St, Mary Magdalen. (Yeah, the nuns had a field day with that one in grade school. See, before the Church and a number of other clerics tried to set the record straight, she was supposedly the prostitute who’d washed Jesus’ feet and dried them with her hair. Today, there’s even a variety of theories that she may actually have been his wife and that she wrote books that were conveniently omitted from the Bible. Take that, Sr, Celine!)

If there’s still room on the calendar, you could note that it’s also the birthday of politician Bob Dole and of Bonnie Langford whom I’ve only just learned portrayed Mel, sidekick to Dr. Who (numbers six and seven), the campy, time-traveling British sci-fi hit that I used to catch on PBS. (I’ve not watched the newer series.)

Born on the same day AND in the same year as I was were actor Patrick Laborteaux (Andy Garvey on Little House on the Prairie) and WWE wrestler Shawn Micheals. Also, Mr. M., a principal whom I used to run into a lot during my reporter days, had a son born today. Found this out several years back when I was getting a copy of my birth certificate from City Hall. Mr. M. was behind me in line. "Did you just say July 22?" I nodded.

"My son was born that day, too!" he exclaimed. "When I went to see him, I probably saw you, too." (Apparently, Baby M and I were nursery mates though I arrived for lunch and he didn't show up 'til dinner.)

Comedian/actor David Spade was born the same day a year earlier. And let's not forget Rick Davies, keyboardist and sometime vocalist from Supertramp. (He actually sang their hit "Goodbye Stranger.") He's officially old enough to retire today.

It's also a good day for cities to be born: Albany, N.Y. was chartered on this date in 1686; Cleveland was founded in 1796.

So, if you can make it through all those celebrations, stop by. I'll save a piece of pie for you. (Key lime)
(Update: I've only just learned that today is also author Tom Robbins' birthday! How bleepin' cool is that?! How can I have lived this long and not known that? Cool. *grins broadly*)