Since 2026 is the 250th birthday of the United States of America, I thought it is appropriate to focus several of my blog posts on the formation of the country and some of the lessons learned. I will try to include both a little fun and some serious perspectives.
For fun…it was interesting this weekend to attend a fun interview between George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere. Despite their ages of almost 300 years, they all looked and sounded pretty good.
OK, wait a moment!!! I know you may be wondering how this interview happened. However, here’s a picture below that proves this interview actually took place. And no, this is not artificial intelligence or sleight-of-hand. It actually happened!!! And even though you may not have looked at a photo of these three gentlemen for several years, you may recognize several of them if you look closely… particularly the very handsome George Washington. He never looked better! How can anyone deny that this interview actually, truly did take place? 😂😂😂
But now that I think about it, George’s socks and shoes do seem a bit out of place…😎
The three gentlemen had a lively discussion on the formation of the country and their personal relationships. A highlight of the evening was Paul Revere reciting by memory Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.” The fact that Paul was even aware of the poem that Longfellow wrote 100 years after Paul died was pretty remarkable.😂😂
On a more serious note, my good friend Mike Zafirovski recommended I take the time to read and listen to George Washington’s farewell address to the country as Washington was stepping down as president of the United States after eight years of service in 1796.
The speech, “George Washington’s farewell address,” was delivered on September 19, 1796. I have read and then listened to a 36-minute recording of the speech several times this weekend and find it to be truly amazing. I find it remarkable that a man that was offered the role of king set an example of humility to make sure there was a peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next early in the country’s formation.
There are a number of insights, specific advice, and warnings Washington included 230 years ago in his speech that are remarkably relevant to what’s happening in the country today. Here are just a few of his thoughts summarized by the National Constutution Center. I highly recommend you review the links below to both the text and the recording of Washington’s speech:
- Washington called for national unity and focused on threats at home and abroad.
- At home, Washington feared the rise of political factions.
- Abroad, Washington warned of the dangers of foreign entanglements.
For Washington, both foreign influence and newly emerging political parties threatened liberty and undermined the promise of republican government. For the American republic to survive, the American people and their elected leaders had to commit to lives of civic republican virtue—valuing reason over passion and the public good over private self-interest.
Wow! I feel that Washington could have written these words TODAY. I believe we are truly blessed to be citizens of the longest continuous democracy in history. However, anyone who assumes that the perpetual continuation of this democracy is a given is either naive or has never read a book on World History.
I believe we all must work together to preserve this great union. When I say “we all,” I really mean EVERYONE. It is easy to assume that someone else will address the problems and issues that we face as a country…that famous group of people I call “THOSE GUYS.” However, as I remind people every day, WE are “those guys” — every man and woman who cares about the country.
In summary, if we can find ways to work together rather than operate at polarized extremes, I remain optimistic that we can celebrate our nation’s birth not only this year, our 250th, but many more in the future.
