Archive for December, 2009

A few weeks ago I had the honor of being at Mount Vernon again.  I took a walk near the mansion as the sun was beginning its quick, autumn descent.  From the side of Washington’s home nature revealed a gold and pink-drenched, cloud-filled sunset. Mount Vernon always reveals new levels of beauty every time I visit the General’s home.  I also went to Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria, Virginia to watch part of the taping of an upcoming video about the music of George Washington’s era.  For all of the Oklahoma teachers who recently experienced a workshop or performance by David Hildebrand at the Hardesty Library in Tulsa or the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City, he will also be on the Fairfax network video.  Gadsby’s Tavern was an inn where Washington attended a public celebration of his birthday.  The George Washington re-enactor was there to talk about music that our first President enjoyed.  The actor had been in Philadelphia earlier in the week where he depicted the President of the Constitutional Convention.  As we were visiting about that experience, suddenly, the gentlemen was no longer a re-enactor but BECAME Washington as he launched into a story about Ben Franklin.  “The aged Philadelphia philosopher rose slowly while leaning on his Crabtree walking stick.  He pointed behind the General at the chair and stated, ‘I have speculated repeatedly through these heated proceedings if the carved sun on your chair was a setting or rising one. Now that we have formed this new constitution for our young country, I perceive, Sir, that it is a rising sun.’”  His words reminded me to be thankful for our Founding Fathers and their willingness to compromise in order to “establish this constitution for the United States of American.”