Now, as for today's post, honestly I was laying in bed right after my wife woke me and wondering what I was going to write today and saw an ad on TV (don't know what ad triggered this) and this just hit me as something that would be Good to write.
The "Quill"
Today seems to be a busy day. There have been men scuttling back and forth between rooms with raised voices and yelling at each other and some guy named George. Really, it has been this way for awhile now. The Yelling has gotten louder as the days progress one into the next.
Several men have been huddled together muttering and talking in the other room for days writing and scribbling something. I'm not sure but I think that and this guy named George really has everyone here on edge. Men keep going over to the group and asking things like "Where are you now?" and "How is it going?" or making statements like "Do not forget when they........", or "Remember when ........".
All of these men have been here for days debating and discussing what that small group of men is over there writing. It must be important. I just wish I knew what they were talking about and doing. It is hard for me to get into and understand these things as I am just a lowly scribe instrument.
I have sat here on the shelf with many others like myself and as the days go on more and more of us have been taken off of the shelf and used by these men, us and the bottles of ink below us.
Today there seems to be a, what did that guy Ben call it.........static, that is it, static in the air. A feeling of trepidatious giddiness. A feeling of action and..............
Oh, wait a minute.
They are calling all of the men into the main room.
Someone is approaching the shelves again and they take one of the bottles of ink away from the shelf and turns to go back, ooopp, he forgot something and reaches to our shelf.
The man picked me off of the shelf! I finally get to be used for my purpose to write. Thank You mister for taking me from the shelf.
The man takes me and places myself and the bottle on a small desk with several papers with a bunch of chicken scratch on them and One Parchment that has orderly writing from top to bottom. Some large writing up at the top and little writing filling the rest of the page below it except for about the bottom third of the page.
Here I will read you what I can from my vantage point.
In Congres.........
How Rude!
Just as I was starting to read it the guy that brought me in here takes the paper away so I can not see it any more. Well, it looks as if he is going to read it to everyone so hold on for just a moment.
"In Congress, July 4th, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events,..............." Oh, great something about human events. Now that is something is it not. He reads on and as he reads there are Great choruses and shouts of "Here, Here!" and things like; "It is about time!", "We should have done this sooner!", "This will get his Attention!" and many many more that some I may not repeat as those were very ungentlemanly.
He is done reading and places the paper back beside me. All of the men in the room are lining up at the table and a hand approaches me, picks me up and dips me in the bottle of ink and signs his name. His name, Button Gwinnett.
Ten times this happens in an orderly neat fashion and then another man comes up and takes me to hand, dipping me into the ink and swirling me around and then in large bold writing puts his name and says something like, "He will not need his glasses to Read That!" (forgive me, it has been a long, long time so I may not have quoted it exactly but if that is not it, it is very near what was said).
His name I do recall was John Hancock.
The signing goes on and on until the last (a total of 56 men use me to sign), a gentleman by the name of Matthew Thornton.
As Mr. Thornton rises from the table the room explodes in cheers and clapping.
In the beginning I did not fully comprehend what I was used for but over the decades into centuries........
THIS is what I was used for:
The Declaration of Independence
So I can say I Truly was used for something GREAT!
Dan, interesting viewpoint. I like it when a writer takes an alternative side of a well known thing (that said declaration of independence means little to me). I guess there are many everyday objects that have been instrumental in major events.
ReplyDeleteJohn Hancock is sometimes used as slang for signature, is this related to the John Hancock who signed the declaration?
I enjoyed reading this.
ReplyDeleteInteresting!! I'd like to hear what you have to say on the general being forced into resiging :) {that is if i understand it right}
ReplyDeleteI know where you got the idea for this. I told you about a strategy I learned yesterday at one of my classes. Thank you writing this because I was having trouble understanding how to make this work. You did a wonderful job writing this.
ReplyDeleteYes, Dear. That is Why "Do you "Listen"? or Giving Credit!" was posted the next day!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it Lunar, hope you follow and come back for more.
Mrs. Midnite, my lady friend across the pond, I am pleased it interested you. And Yes that is where the "John Hancock" terminology came from.
Life wt Lebedas - Sorry to say but No that was not the reason behind the post. Sadly a Good Man was put in a very Poor position and made his stand. I Thank him, as a Veteran it is sad to see our Political leaders treat men and the men under him in such a way. For now that is all I will say on the matter.