Independence Day

I'm not sure why but I've been getting a lot of books out of the library on American history recently. I always thought history was dull when I had to learn it in school. But now that I'm learning about it on my own, it's amazing!

Specifically, I'm interested in the Revolutionary War and the subsequent birth of America. What my studies have impressed upon me more than anything else is how important our leaders were in those early days of independence. If it weren't for them and their devotion to democratic principles, our nation would be totally different. We might have had a military dictator like France's Napoleon or a merciless autocrat like Russia's Stalin. But, thanks to the progressive, forward-thinking creators of the US Constitution, we have enjoyed a robust representative democracy since the very start.

Of course, this all goes back to parenting for me. How much independence do we grant our children? Are we despots or representatives for our families? Napoleons and Stalins or Adams and Jeffersons? Are we looking forward to the future where they will live or the future we'd like to create for them?

Listening To: You Are The Conductor by Caspian