They say good things come in threes

Here are a few groups of three. Judge for yourself:

1. earth, wind, and fire
2. blood, sweat, and tears
3. faith, hope, and charity
4. peace, love, and happiness
5. Kukla, Fran, and Ollie
6. Patti, Maxene, and LaVerne
7. Manny, Moe, and Jack
8. wynken, blynken, and nod
9. Peter, Paul, and Mary
10. a rag, a bone, and a hank of hair
11. a hit, lick, and a promise
12. first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen
13. government of the people, by the people, and for the people
14. the Kingston Trio
15. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
16. Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka.

Whoa. What? Until recently, I had never heard of Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka, even though all of us (in the northern hemisphere, at least) have been seeing them for years. More accurately, you have been seeing them and I have not because they had disappeared from my view after I developed cataracts. Since my cataracts were surgically removed in the summer of 2024 by the wonderful Dr. Hannah Park, I can once again see Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka, the three stars in the belt of the constellation Orion.

My vision had become so poor that before I met Dr. Park I could see only four objects in the night sky—the moon, Venus, Jupiter, and Sirius (the Dog Star). With my vision restored, I shall never take Orion's belt for granted again, and now I call my old friends by their names: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka.

What people say is true. Good tohings do come in threes.

Pop Quiz Time:
1. To whom does item 12 refer?
2. In what document is item 13 found?
3. Who starred in Beetlejuice?