Where We Came From.
Over this past weekend, I went on a vacation to one of the most historical cities within our country, Boston. I went there with my family and was initially going to watch America’s “Favorite Sport”, Baseball. Although the Red Sox took a beating from the Rangers on Saturday, it was an amazing experience to watch a game in the oldest professional baseball stadium, Fenway Park.
On Saturday morning, we were able to go on a tour of the ballpark. Learning about the history within those walls was inspiring to say the least. One player that stood out to me personally was Ted Williams. Some will know significantly more than I do about his career, but what a career he had. Outside of his extensive list of accolades within Professional Baseball, his career was put on hold twice due to WWII and the Korean War. He was a fighter pilot in the US Navy & Marine Corps in WWII. Then in 1946, he won his first American League MVP award and played his only World Series Game losing to the St. Louis Cardinals (continuing the Red Sox Curse of no World Series Titles since Babe Ruth lasting until 2004). He then went on to collect another MVP in 1949 prior to the Korean War which had him miss the 1952 & 53 seasons. On his return, he was the American League batting Champion for the 5th and 6th time in his career. His career is one showing a man who cared about his country before his career. A man willing to fight for this nation, believing that even though he was one of the best baseball players in history that he was no better than the person next to him. This is one heck of an attitude to have in life, and one that should be an inspiration for all. He was willing to give his life to protect the fate of the free world prior to finishing his baseball career.
The one thing I was also excited for was being able to see all the history within the city. I am from Montana and this was the first time I ever spent time out East (besides in an airport and Florida), and may I say Boston is one heck of a place to go to. It opens your eyes to how our country was founded, and how much effort was put into creating the country we live in today.
I went on one of the most “touristy” things you could do in the city, the Duck Boat Tour. So basically, they renovated WWII vehicles for transporting troops to the shore to use for the tours. They drive the “duck boats” through the city, then into the water to give you other perspectives of the area. One of the most interesting things in Boston is not the new shiny skyscrapers, but the old buildings within them overflowing with American history. For example, in the financial district there is a very old building surrounded by new skyscrapers. This building was where supposedly the Declaration of Independence was first read. Also, right in front of it is this circular memorial in the cobblestone. That location marks where the Boston Massacre took place. I read about this in history class, but it is shocking when you can apply what you have learned to the real world. Being able to stand where that terrible event took place was eye opening.
One could write a Bible sized book about the history in Boston, so I will try to keep this short. Although, the last thing I would like to talk about is some of the sidewalks within the downtown area. To most I believe it would go by unnoticed but the cobblestone you walk on in some places has never been replaced. It is the original cobblestone once walked on by our ancestors. I found this to be much more exciting than some might think, but it goes to show how the locals there protect the history within the City of Boston. They want it to be a place where people across our country can go and find something there that opens their eyes to how far we have come. At least to me it had this impact.
Although we have our faults, the history in Boston goes to show that during the hardest of times we come together as a Country to stand up for the culture of the United States. I would never say there is no faults in the American Experiment. I would say though that the American Experiment has given people around the world over centuries the opportunity to be rewarded for their hard work, the ability to create a better life for their children than their own, and the ability to pursue their own path to internal happiness. Success doesn’t dictate happiness, but having the freedom to choose your path forward can give one more happiness than having it chosen for you.
The American Experiment continues today, and we all must be willing to chase our dreams day-to-day. It is far from easy, which is why I believe there will always be people having a hard time within our country. I do know that although this is the case, the people having a hard time can work hard and change their life significantly if they are willing to never give up on what they believe. This is not done by handouts, but by manifesting the never give up attitude. Failure will always be a part of it, but it’s how you deal with the failure that will define who you will become. This is shown not only throughout the hardships of Boston’s history, but shows in each of our lives today. Take this how you would like to, but I do believe that the American Dream still shines bright and could shine even brighter in the years to come if we allow the people to pursue the ideas they are dreaming of today. This could range from becoming the best employee at your place of work to designing/building rockets that become completely reusable (or even something never thought of today). Innovation and motivated people change the world and through all the noise, our country has been the best at allowing people to chase those aspirations. Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts on this experience I had, I wish all of you the best in pursuing the future life you are dreaming of today.
-Riley Sisson
Any opinions are those of Riley Sisson and not necessarily those of Raymond James.
