History Has Its Eyes on Us

It's a Perry Central tradition that each year we have a theme--some sort of tag line or sentiment that may bring us together or inspire us to begin the year with hope and passion for the work.  Our administrative team comes together each summer for a retreat, and one of our biggest tasks is to select that year's theme. In the summer of 2020, the weight of the pandemic and the unrest in the country following the murder of George Floyd were heavy on our minds.  Ideas like "just listen" and "in this together" were being tossed around, along with attempts at humor like "I will survive" and "wash your hands".  We debated but could not seem to land on something that really resonated for this moment when so much seemed out of our control. 

Then in July, the musical Hamilton was made into a movie, and for the low-low price of whatever a Disney Plus subscription costs, we could all stream it into our living rooms.  Because I'm admittedly a total Broadway nerd, I had the date of Hamilton's Disney debut marked on my calendar.  My friend, Jacquie, came over to watch with Mia and me, and no one in my house was allowed to talk or run the dishwasher or do any sort of nonsense that interrupted the musical experience that was happening in northeast Bandon.  If you have not seen Hamilton, you have to stop life and order up Disney Plus and do absolutely nothing else until you have seen it with the close captioning turned ON!  And then you will need to watch it a couple of more times because your mind will be blown by the sheer genius of Lin Manuel Miranda who wrote the whole thing.  

I will quickly summarize the musical and try to get back on point!  Hamilton is the story of founding father, Alexander Hamilton, and his role in the birth of our nation where we got a lot of things right but others very wrong.  It is the story of an immigrant who came to America with nothing, yet through grit and work and the words he spun with his pen helped build a nation. There is a moment in the musical when Hamilton is being given command of troops for the first time, and he's excited to enter the battle.  He speaks with George Washington, who is older and wiser and understands the horror of war. The lyrics of the song follow.

Let me tell you what I wish I'd known
When I was young and dreamed of glory
You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story
I know that we can win
I know that greatness lies in you
But remember from here on in, history has its eyes on you
History has its eyes on you

The idea that history has its eyes on us, which became our theme for the year, is a challenge to all of us.  This year will be remembered in history--how we respond to the pandemic, how we walk alongside our fellow humans until equality is not just an idea but a reality for all people, how we nurture the students in our charge both intellectually and emotionally.  We may never be the subject of a Broadway musical or have our names in history books or our statues standing in a town square, but our impact will still be felt.  May we create waves of goodness, kindness, justice, peace, and inspiration. May we be the light in a dark time. History has its eyes on us.  

(And seriously, if you have not watched Hamilton yet, I'm just not sure we can be friends.  Just watch it and download the soundtrack, and join me in Broadway geekdom.  You'll be so glad you did!)