The #1
I love holidays that are rooted in American History. President’s Day is easily in my Top 5. I know it seems odd. There aren’t any gifts given on this holiday. No real family traditions or big community-wide celebrations. Still, I look forward to this particular long weekend every year. It’s not for sales. I’m honestly not that big of a shopper, and since we aren’t homeowners but renters, big holiday weekend furniture sales aren’t our jam.
Before moving out to Virginia, I loved the long weekend. Generally, I would binge (re)watch History Channel specials on The Greats; George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, F.D.R, etc. All while reading my old and new books on past Presidents.
Now I love it because not only do I get to binge (re)watch the specials, but I also get to visit magical places like Mount Vernon. So we took a trip to Mount Vernon today, and it did not disappoint.
As any of you familiar with me personally and have read my work in the past, know I am a lover of American History and government. So it should be no surprise that I have a passion for anything related to the United States Presidency and the birth of our great Nation.
What better estate to visit on President’s Day weekend than Mount Vernon?
George Washington is my all-time favorite President, and I don’t see how any other President could beat him out because we wouldn’t have the Presidency if it weren’t for George Washington. A man ahead of his time and in a position to be the first President of the United States and have every action he made in that seat the first in its History, he wisely appointed both Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton to his cabinet. Two political adversaries, George Washington, felt it essential to have opposing views prominent in his cabinet to ensure he understood all angles of an argument.
After serving two terms, he retired in 1796, even though there was strong support to serve a third term. He bucked many traditions when it came to power for that Day. It was customary for military leaders to maintain their commission status until death. General George Washington resigned/retired from his commission, believing in the importance of new perspectives and leadership. In much the same way, he left the Presidency.
The men of this time were truly remarkable. What made the Founding Fathers so fascinating and successful was their insatiable curiosity. Most of them didn’t receive nearly the amount, at least in terms of time spent in an education facility that most Americans receive today, but tower over almost all of us in sheer intellect.
George Washington’s formal education probably ended around 11, but that didn’t mean he stopped learning. A lifelong learner like myself he had an impressive library and believed firmly in reading to enhance one’s intellect.
“I conceive a knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built.”
He studied politics and governance primarily but was also an avid studier of agriculture, farming, distilling, fishing, gardening, and poetry.
There could be a strong case that part of what ails us as a country is a lack of curiosity. These giants of History sucked the marrow out of every minute of everyday learning, discovering, and creating.
“Every hour misspent is lost forever…endeavour not only to be learned but virtuous.”
Wasting time and being idle was not something these men participated. On the contrary, it was considered akin to sin if one wasted time and wasn’t striving daily to better themselves, their family, their communities, and the new Nation they fought so hard to create.
When I try to think of people of similar fashion in today’s world, the list isn’t very long — Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, maybe General Mattis.
Another reason I am such a fan of George Washington’s is his Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. Some of my favorites:
22 — Shew not yourself glad at the Misfortune of another though he were your enemy
23 — When you see a Crime punished, you may be inwardly Pleased; but always shew Pity to the Suffering Offender
25 — Superfluous Complements and all Affectation of Ceremonie are to be avoided, yet where due they are not to be Neglected
41 — Undertake not to Teach your equal in the art himself Proffesses; it Savours of arrogancy
56 — Associate yourself with Men of good Quality if you Esteem your own Reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad Company
74 — When Another Speaks be attentive your Self and disturb not the Audience if any hesitate in his Words help him not nor Prompt him without desired, Interrupt him not, nor Answer him till his Speech be ended
81 — Be not Curious to Know the Affairs of Others neither approach those that Speak in Private
And finally
110 — Labour to keep alive in your Breast that Little Spark of Celestial fire Called Conscience
There is so much to learn about and from our Founding Fathers. It’s a shame that there seem to be so many who wish to remove them from our history books, rewrite them as evil men, tear them down from our city centers, and erase them from our school fronts.
Generally, the argument surrounds their involvement with slavery. You’d think based on any conversation you have with today’s American college student or, for that matter, self-proclaimed “woke” American that slavery was invented in our Nation.
In reality, slavery, while deplorable and a sin against humanity has been around for about 9,000 years. There was also a strong desire to end slavery amongst many of the Founding Fathers, but a belief that, like most major cultural and societal shifts, the new Nation would not weather such a change. And while George Washington owned around 300 slaves, he ordered in his will that they all be freed upon the death of his wife, Martha.
It’s easy to paint a portrait of a person using their sins and missteps as a guide; however, it is more honest to measure a person on the totality of their life.
How will History judge our generation? I hope it will be from all aspects of our lives, not just one shared detail.
