Hello, and welcome to March! The vernal equinox happens this month, which is the only time of the year that you’ll ever hear the word ‘vernal’ by the way. (“What if we called it, you know, the spring equinox?” “No, I really think calling it the vernal equinox will make us sound way smarter.”) The equinox, as you probably know, is the day where the earth consists of equal quantities of slush and mud. And although that’s not technically what the equinox means, that’s definitely what it should mean.

Now if you’re in the habit of reading my newsletter, then you’ll know that I’ll normally encourage you to overcome whatever difficulties you’re currently facing, personally or professionally, by finding fun and entertaining ways to re-imagine the world. The whole point is to encourage you to keep learning and growing and building and whatever other –ing words that I’m forgetting right now. (Forgetting! That’s an –ing word!)

But this month I want to do something different. Sometimes it amuses me to go to museums and listen to podcasts and do other things that remind me how little I know. That’s a nice way of saying that the weight of my own ignorance occasionally inspires me to want to learn more. Does that mean I’m calling you ignorant? Of course not. But let’s be honest – you have definitely walked from one room of your house into another room, stood there for a few seconds, and then realized that you had completely forgotten why you wanted to be there in the first place.

So here are 8 strange and scarcely believable things that should interest you enough to want to learn more about life, the world, and business. Let the weirdness begin!

The Moon Used To Be Attached To The Earth

Totally true. In the beginning, there was just the Earth. Then, a few billion years ago, some giant meteor came along and smacked our semi-liquid planet so hard that a giant chunk of it spun off and eventually formed the moon. It is believed that the entire process took…wait for it…24 hours.

Aluminum Ore Is Bright Orange

Or bright red or bright red-orange, but it certainly doesn’t look like aluminum.   Most of it comes from bauxite, and you can find a picture of that here (link to it). Would you have ever thought this weird red rock could cover your half-eaten casserole in the refrigerator? Me either. Thanks, whoever figured that out! It makes me feel strong to be able to rip metal in half.

Theodore Roosevelt Once Got Shot While Delivering a Speech

And then kept on talking for another hour or so before he bothered to call a doctor to remove the bullet. (Side note: I got shot once right before delivering a speech, but it was a tetanus shot, and I was fine. In case you were worried.)

Phil Collins Is a HUGE Fan of Texas

He has one of the largest private collections of Texas paraphernalia, Alamo documents, and other historical artifacts. How a British singer became such a huge fan of Texas is a total mystery. How he’s not a country singer is an even bigger one.

Delta Airlines Started As a Cropdusting Company

They made a little extra money during the agricultural off-season by flying passengers around. Presumably those flights operated at a cruising altitude of 11 feet.

Michigan and Ohio Once Fought a War Over Toledo, Ohio

Nobody died, though. In the border dispute between the state of Ohio and the territory of Michigan, both sides drew the line through Toledo. So they sent militias down to threaten each other. It is amazing to today’s Michiganders that they ever wanted Toledo that badly, but it does explain why Wolverines and Buckeyes are rarely seen in the same bars.

Brad Pitt Started His Career As a Dancing Taco

Or sometimes a dancing burrito. But he definitely worked at El Pollo Loco when he first moved to L.A. with the idea of becoming an actor. Based on his acting success, my guess is that he was a much more believable dancing taco than the average dancing taco.

I Once Worked As a Dancing Chicken

True story. I took my drums down to the streets of downtown Nashville dressed up like a giant chicken and played my little chicken heart out on the weekends. You make more money as a chicken drummer than as a human drummer, by the way. And who knows? Maybe I’ll get discovered one day. I mean let’s be honest – a dancing chicken drummer is waaaay cooler than a dancing taco.

So there you go! The world is full of strange and incredible things. Your life has undoubtedly had its share of weird and wonderful moments. And I’d bet anything that your career still has some strange and incredible things coming to you, as long as you’re willing to keep your eyes open and learn more about what’s possible. Have a great month!