One of my greatest joys this past month has been listening to the award winning Hamilton Broadway Musical. The first week I heard it I listened to it so much all my thoughts were quotes from Hamilton, and I literally had several dreams about the musical. It’s informed my desires and caused me to look at my life in an entirely different light.
The musical is a retelling of the story of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of Treasury and one of our nation’s Founding Fathers through hip-hop and rap. The musical deals with legacy, satisfaction, and rising up from where you start. As a college freshman, I can’t help but visualize romanticized future worlds where I’ve changed the world for the better and left my mark on history. With Hamilton’s repeated line, “I’m not throwing away my shot,” it’s inspired in me a desire to create something great. As Hamilton says, “God help and forgive me, I wanna build something that’s gonna outlive me!” The play’s antagonist, Aaron Burr, is perplexed at the rate at which Hamilton works. He comments on Hamilton’s progress compared to his in the field of law. “Even though we started at the very same time, Alexander Hamilton began to climb! How to account for the rise to the top? Man, the man is Non-Stop!” Burr’s chorus of “How do you write like you’re running out of time?” echoes the comments of those around me of asking how I manage to draw so much. I can relate to Hamilton, and I can feel the same urge to change the world and rise up.
When Hamilton says to Burr, “What are you waiting for? What do you stall for?... I don’t understand how you stand to the side. For once in your life take a stand with pride!” I feel compelled to act upon my convictions. It’s caused me to think about things like “If the google homepage honors the legacies that people leave behind on their birthdays, what would I want my google homepage to be on my birthday after I’m dead?” So far, my best idea is if each letter was represented by comic book page being drawn, each by a different child. It’d be a tribute to a Christian Comic Book class I hope to start, teaching kids to make comics and teaching them the Gospel at the same time.
Another one of Hamilton’s rephrases is “Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now!” Hamilton, with this attitude of appreciating life and changing the world with it, has created in me a desire to do great things. I’d recommend the musical to everybody, and encourage all to think about what you’re going to leave behind with your life.
