Historical Highlights

I watch DVDs as I exercise, and I've been going through a LOT of movies and television programs. One show I decided to try was the HBO miniseries "John Adams". The program was fine, I didn't love it, but I did feel I learned a little that I hadn't been aware of before ( now I realize that with most Hollywood productions, there is some poetic licence taken with historical facts). Anyway ... viewing this movie brought up some of MY memories ...

• When I was a junior in high school. I toured local elementary and Jr. High schools with a traveling educational presentation about our American history. It was with a teacher from our school, five guys ... and me. We sang some of the songs from the musical "1776" and the teacher gave a little lecture. I played the part of both Abagail Adams and Martha Jefferson. I had to go look up the music and listen to it again. Those songs are now on my Ipod.
• When I was in elementary school, I was in a performing group called "Carousel Kids". I remembered a song we sang called "Are You For Independence" ... which chronicled the 13 colonies saying "yes". I Googled and actually found it on an album called "American Pie" ... were a couple other songs ("There was a Man" and "The Inventors Song") which I learned and loved in that group too. They are now on my Ipod as well.
• My oldest did a report for his American history class last fall, and I helped him (a little!). It was on Richard Lee. As I watched the "John Adams" series, I was able to pick out this character from history based on the information learned in that report.
• Many years ago I read the historical novel "Those Who Love" by Irving Stone, which also documents the love story between John and Abagail Adams. Watching the HBO series got me a little in the mood to dig up this book and give it a re-read. We'll see if I get around to it, I don't read as much as I used to.

So, while I enjoyed the mini-series and felt I learned a little about American history, I came away from it with a few historical highlights from my own past too.