Change Is Gonna Come
Change is the only thing constant in life. True as fact today as it was when Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, wrote it 500 B.C.
Looking forward to the new year with much hope, what is one thing you would like to change in 2021?
Hindsight is 20 /20. Looking back we can learn a lot about ourselves and our world.
Today in 1777, we had declared our independence from England nearly a year and a half before, but the future was bleak as General George Washington had lost battle after battle and was now marching his rag-tag soldiers to Valley Forge, Pa. to winter. Upon arrival at their camp, the soldiers were met with more sacrifice, barely any food, clothing or shelter.
Soldiers they were called, but had no training. Allies of the new nation, Prussian military advisor, Baron Von Steuben, Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette, Polish-born Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Count Casimir Pulaski spent the winter teaching the soldiers how to be soldiers and come Spring, General Washington had a professional army to fight the British.
At this point, change had come with many sacrifices, but without it, well, history would not have been on our side.
Today in 1941, Germany declares war against the United States when their Washington charge d’affaires delivered the formal declaration of war to Secretary of State Cordell Hull. Only three days before Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor and destroyed much of our military ships. The next day Congress declares war on Japan, now Germany declares war on us. For years, the United States had remained neutral, but now change came quickly. We were not prepared, but again allies came to help change our history.
Today in 2020, we are engaged in another war raging in the whole world, a war of a virus that ravages all ages, all races. Like other wars there is no book to follow. Again, we are unprepared. Although countless researchers and doctors have declared war on the virus, volunteers have been given the experimental drugs, we have been warned over and over to protect ourselves, the virus is still winning the war. Will this enemy be defeated? What have we learned?
If history has taught us anything it is that allies, all of us together, can change our history.
Singer Sam Cooke sang a song he wrote back in 1963 that expressed human response to troubles with the refrain, “It’s been a long, a long time coming, But I know a change gonna come, Oh, yes it will.”