Activity of the Week: Lexington and Concord

A week ago, on Patriot's Day, the annual battle re-enactment of the 1775 battle at Lexington and Concord took place at 5:30 AM. Doing an independent study on the conflicting interests of pre-revolutionary Bostonians, I took full advantage of the opportunity to go. Waking up at 3:45 was actually more pleasant than I had anticipated. That may be because I was never in a deep enough sleep to feel drowsy in the morning. Note, Hazy was still awake when I got up that morning.
The actual battle lasts no more than a few moments. I was surprised at the initial quickness of the battle and it took me a few hours to remember that the most memorable and critical moments in life are just that, moments. I remember snippets of my childhood and specific images that perhaps have shaped my personality. A mentor once philosophically elaborated on the idea of a "moment of bliss". A brief moment where nothing is wrong in your world, and these moments are few and far between. If you can recognize that moment as it occurs you are that much more fortunate. I equate the quick battle and the world of re-enactments to this "moment of bliss". The book Confederates in the Attic explains that the best re-enactment takes the viewer out of time for a brief moment. They literally are the closest we will get to experiencing history, at least until Doc Brown shows up in the Dolorean and says "hop in". My view at the re-enactment was not ideal and the mass of young children nearby did not help my efforts to transport myself to 1775. As the battle moved by my post on the Lexington Green, I had an unobstructed view of the patriots retreating. The British fired often and the air filled with gun smoke. The noise around me dissipated and the faces nearby became insignificant. That brief moment gave me chills. It was no more than 6 or 7 seconds, but it was natural and a moment I will not forget. These are the moments that are difficult to describe and I think most people can paint an accurate portrait of their life through approximately 10 brief moments. Anyways, this past week I went to Lexington and Concord and I highly recommend this trip for anyone wanting to explore American history and how the Revolution began.