pilgrims, pioneers humble immigrants ethic of hard work, courage
Adapted from the passage:
… gold had been found.
That insignificant little flake the size of a woman’s fingernail had provoked this uncontrollable invasion, changing the face of California and the soul of the North American nation, as Jacob Todd, transformed into a journalist, would write a few years later.
“The United States was founded by pilgrims, pioneers, and humble immigrants with an ethic of hard work and courage in the face of adversity. Gold has brought out the worst of the American character: greed and violence.“
From the book Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende (London, Flamingo and imprint of HarperCollins, 1999).
There! John Bull can read my name without spectacles … lessons from legends
It will be remembered that a reward was offered for the head of John Hancock. When he signed the Declaration of Independence he did it was a bold hand, in a conspicuous manner, and rose from his seat, pointing to it, and said, “There, John Bull can read my name without spectacles, he may double his reward, and I put his at defiance.”
So Mr. Michael Hancock of the National Archives History Office writes in the blog post, John Hancock and His Signature, from the National Archives Blog, Pieces of History.
Sure sure who knows if Mr. Hancock really said it or if he did say it, was anyone around to hear him say it.
But that isn’t my point.
As for the story, I agree with the line, When the legend becomes fact, print the legend because it goes with my point.
Mr. Hancock signed in such a way, for whatever reason, to be remembered and with a flourish.
And we can learn a lesson from that.
Not sure when I first heard the story about Mr. Hancock but it is easy to say that in school in the United States, I was never taught anything about the history of the Declaration of Independence that the story about Mr. Hancock, his signature and King George and his glasses wasn’t told.
Also back when I was in high school, we were asked to sign up for something and the kid in line ahead of me scribbled his name and the teacher looked at it and said something about having a signature that showed you were proud of your name and who were.
Ever since that day I have worked to have a bold, clear signature on the few documents of importance I have ever had to sign.
Not sure why but signatures and signing things and who signed what are much on my mind today.
Kind of goes with that old line of don’t sign a check your butt can’t cash.
so much disturbing our lives, clouding our future our unhappy land
Adapted from the essay Letter from the East (Allen Cove, February 8, 1975) written by EB White as published in The Essays of EB White by EB White (Harper and Row, New York, 1977).
Mr. White writes:
With so much that is disturbing our lives and clouding our future, beginning right here in my own little principality, with its private pools of energy (the woodpile, the black stove, the germ in the seed, the chick in the egg), and extending outward to our unhappy land and our plundered planet, it is hard to foretell what is going to happen.
I know one thing that has happened: the willow by the brook has slipped into her yellow dress, lending, along with the faded pink of the snow fences, a spot of color to the vast gray-and-white world. I know, too, that on some not too distant night, somewhere in pond or ditch or low place, a frog will awake, raise his voice in praise, and be joined by others. I will feel a whole lot better when I hear the frogs.
My take was the air of foreboding and doom for our unhappy land back in 1975.
I guess every generation has to handle this feeling and figure it out.
I was 15 in 1975 and the future did not seem to did not seem so bad
So here is the 15 year olds of today and a hope for their future.
We walk often late in the evening to beat the heat here in the low country and our sidewalks line deep dark forests with swampy marshland.
We walk along as dusk settles and 1,000s upon 1,000s of frogs wake up and raise their voices in praise.
As we walk along the treeland swamps, we think, what is that sound?
Tonight, maybe, when we hear it, I will feel a whole lot better.
And the radio is playing Jean Sibelius: Organ Symphony … how can someone be unhappy?
take hold of the hope hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure
Adapted from the Bible passage at Hebrews 6:17-19 (NIV).
Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
No Haiku For You 