Happy birthday ... oh, wait!

When I start out writing about something cool and then realize—oh wait, this is what made me think of it. Also, 7 other things worth your time.

Today is one of the days when I didn’t really figure out why I was drawn to write about something until the very end. So read on to the bottom. :)

First off: Tomorrow marks the 246th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps.

This is also the 100th anniversary of the time that the Commandant of the Marine Corps ordered every Marine Corps unit in the world “[to] commemorate the birthday of our corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history.”

With each year that passed afterward, the Marine Corps Birthday became a bigger deal for Marines, with more and more traditions attached.

Also, I love that they call it the “birthday,” and not the “anniversary.”

If you ever get a chance to go to one of these celebrations, I recommend it, even if you have nothing at all to do with the Marine Corps.

In fact, this week, I’m attending an event that happens to have been organized by a retired Marine officer, so sure enough, we’ll be celebrating the birthday. Among the …