-Victor Grosser Today is the anniversary of one the most famous horseback rides in history. But the truth is, at the time, the "hero" of that ride was not met with admiring support from all sides, as you might think. Yes, even the famous Mr. Revere had to contend with villagers telling him to "keep the noise down" as he rode through the streets, yelling the signal that was to save all of their lives... And at the end of it all he was arrested! Read on to learn the TRUE story of Paul Revere's ride and why you simply can't listen to the locals when it comes to saving the village. SHABAMBO! -Tellman "One man with courage is a majority." - Thomas Jefferson |
by Victor Grosser |
"Move another inch and you are a dead man" they barked at him. With 4 shiny pistols in his face he had no choice but to obey. But it didn't matter. They were too late, his work for that night was done. Now it was time to face the consequences. What happened 236 years ago on this day has a profound impact on how you and I live today. Simply put- the course of history was irrevocably influenced by one man tearing around the streets of Boston on a horse at breakneck speeds in the dark. You've heard this name before. We were taught about him in school. Over the years poems have been written and stories told around kitchen tables, faces lit by flickering candlelight about what happened that historic night. But I bet you don't know the whole story... The man they speak of is Paul Revere. You see, after the great Boston Tea Party rebellion tempers ran high. Both American and British troops were on alert and the tension was palpable in the air. Everyone knew something was going to happen. The question was when. He made his own spoons. Our hero of the night probably had no idea he would be called upon to risk his own life and livelihood to warn the populace. As a highly regarded silversmith Revere was a craftsman of the highest order. Much of his work still survives and is considered some of the finest specimens of silversmithing to this day. As you can imagine Paul owned a house and other property, had a lucrative business, steady stream of customers and relatively stable life. The quintessential American dream. His smithing business fed and clothed his family, kept the house warm and enabled them to live a comfortably. What more can you ask of life? And yet it wasn't enough. You see Paul Revere realized something that escapes most people for their entire lives. He knew there is no such thing as stability or guarantees. Many confuse comfort with safety and existence with the meaning of life. And yet these are very different things. Paul Revere lived for the bigger picture and was willing to risk it all, his family, business, stable income, reputation. Everything. For a chance to be a part of the American freedom revolution. He surely knew about the risk and possible consequences. His job was barely done and the night wasn't yet over before the attacking British troops caught up with him and held Revere at gunpoint. Then they demanded to know their prisoners name and business in the politest terms. It went something like this: In Paul Revere's deposition he stated- "In an instant I saw four of them, who rode up to me, with their pistols in their hands, said God damn you stop. If you go an inch further, you are a dead man...we attempted to git thro them, but they kept before us, and swore if we did not turn in to that pasture, they would blow our brains out . . . . One of them, who appeared to have the command, and much of a gentleman, asked me where I came from; I told him, he asked me what time I left it; I told him, he seemed surprised, said Sir may I crave your name, I answered it is Revere, what said he Paul Revere; I answered yes; the others abused much; but he told me not to be afraid, no one should hurt me . . . I told him they would miss their aim". And to top it all off Paul's warning wasn't well received in some quarters of the city. In fact as he was racing through the streets warning the residents a sentry yelled at him to stop making so much noise. To which he replied "Noise!", "You'll have noise enough before long. The regulars are coming out!" (Regulars being the cryptic term for the British soldiers). Today you'd be tased off your horse He was basically saying that any noise he was making was but a rumble of thunder on the horizon of what was about to transpire. You see, freedom is an ancient concept. The first known application of the idea was the 24th century BC, in Lagash, a city-state in what is present day Iraq. It was here Urukagina, the king of Lagash put together the first set of laws protecting citizen rights and property from the rich and powerful elite. This seems logical today, but in that day and age it was an earth shattering mindshift. Urukagina specified that nobody could be forced to sell their property, and that criminal charges had to be stated and proven before anyone could be punished. These were the first laws of their kind in the history of humanity. Like Paul Revere, every day we're presented with opportunities to participate in revolutions both big and small. Chances to stand up and fight for what we believe is right. Those people who choose to stand out from the crowd and fight for freedom make our world what it is today. Who can say what our lives would be like if Paul had stayed home that night and enjoyed an evening with his family? Every single day of our lives is a crossroads. An opportunity to decide if we are going to push on towards freedom or continue in our same old patterns. Take a few minutes to think deeply on this question: "Are you truly free?" Only you will know the answer. Freedom means many things, financial, political, economic. Today and now, are you free? Or are you marching to someone else's beat? Does an outside higher power have ultimate control over your paycheck and income? Like Paul Revere we all have varying degrees of financial comfort and stability in our lives, states of being that are threatened and risked by a "ride" towards freedom. But as is always the case with freedom, the financial rewards for those who strive to become free and succeed are enormous and without a doubt worth the risk. When you are making your choice, consider that 236 years ago on this night Paul Revere chose the path of freedom. And the results of his decision continue to ripple out to us in the 21st century. A legacy? I think yes. |
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