Jefferson Lives On

Today, my wife and I returned from a three day stay at Colonial Williamsburg, VA. This was a trip given to us as a gift from my parents, for Christmas. I knew my wife was really excited to see the colonial themed tourist attraction all dolled up for the holidays, so we went, arriving Sunday evening.

As we spent the last couple of days wandering around the old homes and exhibits, it was easy to slip back into the "yester-year" frame of mind. We had a wonderful time, the re-enactors were always in character, the activities were always entertaining and enlightening. But nothing could have prepared me for what I witnessed Tuesday morning at 10:30 in the morning.

As the cold wind blew, and the sun struggled to dry the dew from the wooden benches in the Palace Gardens, a visit with Thomas Jefferson touched my soul. For nearly an hour, a re-enactor portraying this founding father, captured Jefferson's magnificance perfectly. The crowd of about a hundred that attended this program were, as I was, simply amazed.

Jefferson spoke, without notes (or a teleprompter) on natural law, the unalienable rights of man, and liberty. He spoke of the laws of man, corruption in the political sphere and the remedies for true freedom to be achieved. He also spoke on slavery and emancipation. He spoke on freedom of worship and the separation of church and state, among other things as well, receiving loud applause over and over.

The reaction of the audience, myself included, was almost a revival sensation. It was as if I was really there, hearing of these revolutionary words for the first time. There simply isn't anything like HEARING Jefferson's words, vs reading them in a book. The words were uplifting, inspiring, motivating, all the while akin to feeling like one witnessing history. For me, it was also humbling.

If you have never been, I highly recommend a visit to this place. It just may change your life and your outlook on the future, as it sure did for me.