Hamilton. Have you seen it yet?
I may be a little late to the party, but since it was far too hot to be outdoors this past weekend, I sat still long enough to watch it. I don’t know about you, but I could not help but notice the parallels between the historical significance of what Hamilton and the Founding Fathers were living through, and the historical significance of what you and I are living through, right this very moment.
History has its eyes on you, anyone?
Most of humanity will neither witness a global pandemic nor social justice reform, let alone concurrence of both. You and I, my friend, are contributors and witnesses to a historic moment that will swiftly become part of the record of both U.S. and world history.
Just as the decisions and actions of Hamilton et al. are significant because of how they shaped the U.S., the decisions we make and the actions we take in the present are shaping the future for generations of both Americans and global citizens.
Sooner than seems possible, a new generation will find themselves wondering, what was it like to be quarantined? How did social-distancing work? What was the hoopla over wearing masks all about? What made people protest in the streets and tear down statues? How many people died?
I hope the next generation will also ask us the most important question of all: What changed? I wonder, will our collective history of decisions and actions stir feelings of admiration and pride or disappointment, disgust, and anger when viewed through the sharp eyes of history rather than the fingerprint smeared screen of current events?
As Steve Jobs famously stated: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” What connections and mistakes will we see in retrospect?
As individuals and as a society, we will make mistakes along the way. Historic changes don’t happen every day, and that’s why they feel both urgent and impossibly complicated. If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed by trying to do your part and make it all work, remember Hamilton and Maria Reynolds.
Yeah, Hamilton didn’t handle the pressure of having history’s eyes on him without making some mistakes either. I hope that we write a true and proud history of courage under fire; cooperating to protect the vulnerable, dismantling systems that caused harm to our fellow human beings (specifically black human beings), and ultimately our country’s ideals of liberty and justice for all prevailed.
When you imagine your life writ large, à la Hamilton, would you feel proud of the part you played? If not, why not start doing things differently? After all, there’s no time like the present to make history.
Danielle Daily is an Author, TEDx speaker, and Host of The Suddenly Single Show podcast where she brings hope to the heartbroken via inspiring interviews released each Monday morning.
Find The Suddenly Single Show wherever you like to binge your favorite podcasts or at thesuddenlysingleshow.com.
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