Day 009: Lexington & Concord
The “Shot heard around the world” took place at the battle of Lexington and Concord in the colony of Massachusetts on April 19, 1775. At the time, American colonists, still under English rule, were becoming increasing vocal and aggressive about their restricted freedoms and unjust taxes. The English governed with a rule that was not only far physically but was also many oceans away in ideology. This was most pronounced in areas that matter most, concerns like freedom and citizen rights.
When things got too tense, colonists struck back at the corrupt government through mischief like the infamous Boston Tea Party. The English monarchy, on the other hand, retaliated with governors who imposed punishments like the Coercive Acts. The cycle continued until this bloody day in history which would mark the start of the Revolutionary War and the beginning of the American independence.
As a lover of history and someone who is incredibly grateful for the suffering and sacrifice of those who went before us and those who fought/figt for us in ways I cannot, today got me thinking a few things…
First, Is there any way things could have been handled without bloodshed? I am incredibly grateful for America and what our nation has brought to the world over the last few hundred years, but could independence or unity with Great Britain been attained in a way that involved less suffering? What would have happened if the men (and women!) involved in those talks had spun the ideas around and tried to experience them from opposing perspectives? What kept them from doing so, and how can I guard my own heart from doing the same?
Second, what gives me the right to question how the war started? I am looking back on history from my white-washed perspective. We must be careful judging those who went before as we will be judged by those who come after.
Third, America was formed by Minute Men and a Militia made up of average every day farmers, workers, husbands, and wives strong enough to support them and the families the men left behind. The early Americans made no excuses and sought no easy way out. Instead they put systems in place to meet trouble to the best of their ability. They knew running or denying what was happening would not prevent it from happening. It would only make the suffering worse and the outcome swayed in the enemy’s direction. Instead, they were were ready at the drop of a hat. They were mentally, physically, socially, and, most of all, spiritually, ready to face whatever battles life threw at them. They did not have to like life’s battles, but they did have to meet them.
All the above require an extreme degree of self-possession, of body, mind, heart, and soul strength, a willingness to suffer and sacrifice for a greater good, and faith that there is more to life (and death!) than we see here!
I wonder how many of today’s Americans currently Live Not Ordinary enough to rise just as powerfully. I’m not going to answer that. Instead, I will focus on my own locus of control: myself!
Am I ready to live that Not Ordinary?
I guess that’s what I’m here to find out!
God Bless…
Gratitude Journal – April 19, 2023
- J fixing the calculator software for me!!!
- Getting extra/unexpected time to get work done!
- Getting the navigators set up!
- Getting more ideas for my workouts
- Getting my workout “done.”
- Texts from 2 saying they were all right.
- BED!!!
Good night & God Bless…
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