Happy Birthday!

Shieldmaiden

Today is George Washington's 273rd birthday.

At age six and a half, I learned about him. I mean REALLY learned about him.

Frightening librarians with my mad dash to the history section, I plowed through twenty-eight books about the great "George W. Senior," ranging from Breakfast with Washington to Washington's Rules of Civility to the Anecdotes of Washington (which I read thoroughly, though not really understanding quite what the author was talking about). By age seven and a half, I had run out of books, having read all the books about Washington in the library. So I persuaded my family to go to Virginia for vacation.

Arriving at Mount Vernon early in the morning, we got out of the car and started the long walk up the road to the gates. I was trembling as we set foot on Mount Vernon soil, hindered only by a well-meaning tour guide telling us mundane little tidbits like "The tree which you see on your left..." I didn't hear any more; I was too busy watching the gatekeeper as he took out a large American flag. He noticed me, too. In a few minutes, a bugle started to play... and my sister and I got to raise the flag over Mount Vernon.

Very cool.

Then we began our tour of the house and grounds, which started in the out-kitchen, and ended in the barn. We were still there at sunset! I probably set off more than five alarms trying to see inside ALL the rooms, but did I care? No, sir. When we left the house, we went to Washington's tomb, running to catch up with the tour group that had left us far in the rear. (They went WAY too fast!) Then, when we got there, the tour guide asked if I would read the eulogy for the crowd gathered at the tomb. Very, very cool. It goes without saying that I did it!

Then we went on to the orchards, barns and gardens, and picked beans with the costumed ladies, and pulled cotton off the bushes. I still have some of the cotton, very ratty and bedraggled, but still intact.

I think modern Presidents should look to Washington as inspiration. In Washington, they could see how to be great leaders while remaining noble and great in character.

Happy Birthday!