Battle at the Old North Bridge

As I left this morning pondering what to do with my Saturday I started wandering around, looking at Google Maps, and eventually found my car steering it's way towards the Old North Bridge in Concord, MA site of one of the early battles of the American Revolution on that fateful morning of April 19th 1775.  For those not familiar with their U.S. History after the British Red Coats dispensed with the colonists on Lexington green they marched northeast in search of rumored colonial munitions dumps in the areas surrounding Concord.  The colonial militia and minute men had decided that Old North Bridge would be where they'd make their stand. The colonials actually advanced on the British who were attempting to defend themselves on the east side of the bridge. Staring down a much stronger in numbers colonial force the British were forced to fire into the colonial ranks and with that the colonials quickened their advance and opened fire killing several British soldiers and securing the first colonial victory in the battle for independence.

Today was certainly a picturesque day and there were certainly many out and about around the grounds of the park taking advantage of the picturesque setting for pictures, picnics, etc.  I must admit that the idealist in me still finds it a bit surreal that I live just minutes from such historic settings and often find myself stopping off at the Lexington Battle Green on my way home. But as I sat on a rock and watched those who had made their way to the same place the cynic was also forced to admit that visiting such places has become a bittersweet affair for me lately. Of course in the end I guess the idealist won out as I made plans to return for a Drum and Fife performance later this month.

As I watched those who'd also come to explore the grounds I again wondered what would those who had shed their blood on that same ground some 234 years ago think were they to see their homes now? What did these unquestionably brave men die for?  I also often wonder what drives people to make their way to these places of simple historical significance no theme park trappings, little in the way of museums or interactivity just the echoes of those who came before.  Today featured the usual cast of characters families with young children, the occasional young couple in love, the sour face teenagers, tourists from another part of the country or perhaps another part of the world.  I often enjoy listening to what parents tell their young children about such places, more often than not boiling 234 years of history down to a few simple sentences. Kids ran yelling back and forth over the bridge and almost everyone snapped pictures of "such a pretty setting as kayakers paddled lazily in the river below.  I can only hope that in some fleeting way those who visited were left with a sense that it is only because the river ran red with blood in an earlier time that then enjoy the privilege of their lazy summer afternoon. 

Once again my thoughts arrive back at those who made their stand on that bridge, what would they think? As farmers who sweat in the fields and toiled over their crops so their families could eat...What would they think of a country where over 50% of all the wealth is controlled by 1% of the citizenry? As the sons of liberty debating ideals of freedom, government, and the rights of men in taverns and the local square...What would they think of a national debate run by talking heads, blogs, and special interests with rhetoric that has devolved into talk of socialism and posters of our statesmen as Hitler? 

What would they think of what we've become? Pause and listen carefully as you stand in the field, imagine what it was like for them and maybe if you concentrate you'll hear the answer in one of those echoes.