Okay. For those of you who know me, I get a really tiny bit passionate about things in life. And in addition to Disney and my family and my religion, one of the things I am most passionate about in life, not only American history but specifically revolutionary war history, specifically Alexander Hamilton.
We saw Hamilton the musical on Broadway
In February of 2019, my husband and I had the incredible privilege to go into New York City and to see Hamilton the musical on Broadway for our anniversary. It was something he really, really wanted to do. And it was my anniversary present to him. And ultimately, I fell head over heels in love with it and he loved it. But I kind of became obsessed with it a little bit. Not going to lie. Or passionate, we can choose to use that word instead of obsessive because that has a negative connotation.
Today, I find myself in New Jersey with an afternoon to myself, which is a very, very rare and wonderful gift. I decided to give myself the gift of finding the physical spot where the duel took place between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Here I am at that spot. Behind me is the Manhattan skyline, which is absolutely fabulous.
I’m not going to lie, I’m completely geeking out right now and having a really fabulous time listening to the music on my AirPods. Recharging and having a fabulous time, refueling my batteries, doing something completely not productive, which is really hard for me. This is just spectacular. I’m just marinating in beautiful history and an incredible life well lived.
I cried so hard
The last song in the musical Hamilton, I cried so hard, I thought I was going to fall right off our balcony seats, which would have been very embarrassing and rather memorable for everybody who is still in the theater. But for those of you who have not seen it, the words are, “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” As the current Dean of the Mountain West National Speakers Association, Speakers Academy, that was the theme for our Speakers Academy is we each have been blessed to have life experiences that are uniquely ours. We have a story to tell.
If I can help one single person to find their voice so that they can tell their story, that’s a legacy worth leaving. Alexander Hamilton certainly did that. I certainly hope to do that myself, and I would invite you to think about the legacy that you intend to leave behind.