Wisdom from Hamilton

Hamilton, the Musical has become a cultural phenomenon. I first heard a selection of the soundtrack on Pandora late last year, and was enchanted.

I had loved Lin-Mauel Miranda's In the Heights, so it was no surprise that this score struck my fancy. I dabbled in some of the songs, tailoring my Pandora station to a few of my favorites.

Recently, I bought myself the 2-Disc soundtrack, and have been listening everyday for the last week during my 20 minute commute, and I continue to be enchanted by the historical picture being painted for my from the perspectives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

As a lover and enjoyer of words, I find Miranda's work to truly be a refreshing and unique snapshot of multiple political and historical legacies. As a whole, the story has enthralled me, as well as inspired me in more ways than one.

First of all, I relate with Hamilton in his desire to prove himself and will never be 'satisfied' unless he accomplishes every single goal in a specific way. Here are a few of his quotes that have given me reason to ponder my beliefs and ideals:

"There's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait!"-Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton

"If you stand for nothing, then what will you fall for?"-Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Sir

Second, Aaron Burr may have been more relatable to me than Hamilton. While I don't think I could actually practice what he preaches ("Talk less, smile more"), in his moments of quiet contemplation, he speaks to me on a level where I know he speaks the truth. For example:

"Love doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints."-Burr, Wait For It

"I am the one thing in life I can control."- Burr, Wait For It

"If we lay a strong enough foundation, we'll pass it on to you, we'll give the world to you and you'll blow us all away."- Burr, Dear Theodosia

Third, George Washington may have been the unsung voice of reason throughout the story. The amazing mentor he was, helped me understand what it really means to be older and wiser. His philosophy is both profound and modernly accurate. If anything, he plainly states universal knowledge in a way that makes it sound so much more effective.

"You have no control over who lives, who dies, who tells your story."-Washington, History has it's Eyes on You

"Winning is easy, leading is harder." Washington, Cabinet Battle #1

Finally, the hidden gem of the musical themes come from Elizabeth "Eliza" Schulyer Hamilton. Throughout the show she says, "Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now." How right you are Eliza, hearing this made me stop and think about how lucky I am to be here right now. You offer me hope, that no matter what, I live in a time where things are happening and I get to be right in the middle of it.

History has it's eyes on you, so how do you want to be remembered?

You know, there's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait!