My last blog sounded a little depressing. Sometimes the news does that to you. Especially here in this future world of the 21st century.
Certainly, we had our own share of doom, disaster, and dastardly conduct back in my time, in the 1700s, but thanks to the modern media, I surmise that you may have much more of it being reported these days than we ever did in colonial America. With so many more types of media – radio, television, newspapers, internet, etc. – it’s simply a statistical fact of life, that with more stories about awful occurrences, which you are being exposed to far more often, and in many more different places, one would think that there is much more of this kind of thing going on out in the world. (Which may not actually be the case at all, numerically, if one really investigates further.)
I have found, however, that one cure that has always invigorated me, back in the days of the American Revolution, is something very simple: travel!
Yes, dear reader, whenever I was feeling under the weather, all it took was a new mission, a new assignment, that took me on a long distance voyage of some sort, and in no time at all I was back to my jovial, well-adjusted self.
So, with this in mind, I think I shall offer this solution to all of you, as well. In fact, I will even make some suggestions as to some possible destinations you may wish to consider:
Certainly, we had our own share of doom, disaster, and dastardly conduct back in my time, in the 1700s, but thanks to the modern media, I surmise that you may have much more of it being reported these days than we ever did in colonial America. With so many more types of media – radio, television, newspapers, internet, etc. – it’s simply a statistical fact of life, that with more stories about awful occurrences, which you are being exposed to far more often, and in many more different places, one would think that there is much more of this kind of thing going on out in the world. (Which may not actually be the case at all, numerically, if one really investigates further.)
I have found, however, that one cure that has always invigorated me, back in the days of the American Revolution, is something very simple: travel!
Yes, dear reader, whenever I was feeling under the weather, all it took was a new mission, a new assignment, that took me on a long distance voyage of some sort, and in no time at all I was back to my jovial, well-adjusted self.
So, with this in mind, I think I shall offer this solution to all of you, as well. In fact, I will even make some suggestions as to some possible destinations you may wish to consider:
London, England – I spent many years in England, working for the American cause. At first, it was to try to preserve peace; later, once it became obvious that all the British wanted to do was to exert unfair control over the colonies, it was to advance the goals of the Revolution. But I digress. Some attractions you may wish to consider: London Bridge, The Tower of London (where one of my acquaintances was imprisoned!), Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Thames River (where I once swam a couple of miles to show off for my English friends).
Paris, France – the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame is a sight to see; also, elsewhere in the area they have added a few new things since the 18th century, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Art Museum (started in 1792, a few years after my time in France), and the Arc de Triomphe (begun in 1806). I would also have recommended a visit to the royal court, but unfortunately, after the French Revolution, that is no longer the same, with French monarchs like King Louis XVI no longer on the scene (I lost a number of good friends to the guillotine, unfortunately.)
Stonehenge – on one of my trips to England, our ship landed near Stonehenge, and so we took the opportunity to see one of the ancient world’s oldest known monuments, constructed by some mysterious inhabitants of the British isles in prehistoric times.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – I do happen to be partial to this destination, since it was my adopted hometown. I must warn you, however, that it is quite different than in the days I walked its downtown streets. The buildings are much taller, there are hundreds more citizens occupying every square mile, the pace of life has accelerated considerably, the horse traffic has now been replaced by automobile traffic (especially on this new road known as the “Schuykill Expressway,” which is anything but express), and there is now a whole new assortment of food and beverage purveyors that were not there when I was around (I would highly recommend something called “Philly Cheesesteak,” best enjoyed in a particular South Philly neighborhood). There is also the Franklin Institute, which is a wonderful museum that has gone far beyond my own primitive scientific investigations of the 1700s. For more information on popular attractions in Philadelphia, you may go to http://www.visitphilly.com.
Boston, Massachusetts – the town of my birth is always a good place to visit. And, like Philadelphia, it has changed considerably. You could see the Massachusetts state house on Beacon Hill, where they finally installed a lightning rod, 300 years after I invented it. Or, perhaps, you might want to consider a trip to the harbor, to the site of the Boston Tea Party (although I understand that there is now another “tea party” that seems to be proclaiming quite different values from what we patriots once stood for in Revolutionary times). And, another attraction that is worth experiencing is an astounding underground marvel of architecture, engineering, and transportation technology known as the “Boston T” (or “subway,” in the parlance of other cities). A word of warning, however, regarding the “T”: I understand there was a poor soul named “Charlie” who once rode the T and became terribly disoriented, and wound up endlessly traveling back and forth and around in circles underground, doomed to a life of never finding his destination. (His legend is one of those apocryphal tales that I would have loved to have reported on in my own newspaper). You may, therefore, wish to exercise some caution in your own travels on the T, lest you become similarly lost.
Cape Cod – another Massachusetts destination, where it is now possible to engage in some diverting activities that hearken back to the pirates of my day, who used to prey on ships traveling back and forth to England. These attractions include a pirate-themed miniature golf course (with ingeniously life-like pirates haunting the various putting greens), and a pirate ship excursion that departs from Hyannisport, offering a fairly entertaining experience for all aboard, from pirate talk (Arrrgh!) to threats of keelhauling and walking the plank. As one who allegedly organized pirate raids myself back in the 1700s, I would be curious to see how closely this modern-day re-enactment comes to the actual expeditions I was thought to be responsible for (according to certain 21st century historians).
There are, of course, many more possible destinations you may wish to consider; however, we shall have to save those for a future blog (At which time I may also need to discuss a travel agent’s commissions, since getting about in this future world is a lot more expensive than I ever imagined).
Your humble servant,
B.Franklin
There are, of course, many more possible destinations you may wish to consider; however, we shall have to save those for a future blog (At which time I may also need to discuss a travel agent’s commissions, since getting about in this future world is a lot more expensive than I ever imagined).
Your humble servant,
B.Franklin