Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Happy New Year 2020:
Peace on Earth stamp


Happy New Year! We made it 2020, perhaps just barely.

This marks the 11th different calendar year in which Papergreat has published a post. (It was launched in November 2010.) That's pretty trippy.

These "PEACE ON EARTH" Cinderella stamps were published in 1961 (I believe) by The Protestant Council of the City of New York. The council has a history dating back to the 19th century and is known today as the Council of Churches of the City of New York. It was The Protestant Council of the City of New York from 1943 to 1968.

Peace on Earth is always a nice sentiment. We have a lot of work to get there, of course. And we must be much, much better stewards of this planet, too, to help enable any movement toward overall peace.

Maybe it starts if we can get closer to having our own peace of mind. Here's an excerpt from the New Year's Day editorial published today in LNP|LancasterOnline:
"But here’s another thing about 2020:

"It’s going to be a long year.

"And not just because it’s a leap year, with a whole extra day to navigate.

"We all know what’s in the daily news. Impeachment. Gun violence. Democratic primaries. Property taxes. Religious intolerance. Climate crisis. Immigration. International tensions. November’s presidential election.

"These issues will easily overwhelm us, each waking hour — if we allow them to.

"So here’s another resolution: Slow down and take care of yourself.

"Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Find the pace that works for you, and don’t let others define that pace.

"Take time to breathe. To reflect. To savor the little things.

"Take walks.

"Read that book you’ve been putting off.

"Savor time with friends and family.

"Chat with your neighbors.

"Remember it’s OK to laugh.

"Write a letter — like, actually write a letter.

"We believe the time is there for these things. One way to find it: Many of us could certainly put down our smartphones and devices for an hour a day. And thus make time for all of the above.

"We wrote in September about the problems of living with our eyes glued to the screens of our devices. Our fingers endlessly swiping and typing. 'They’re perilously addictive for adults as well as teens. Our smartphones have taken over our lives. ... This rarely leads to contentment.'

"So maybe we could all look up from our screens more often and see what’s truly out there in the world."

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