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The One. The Only. The First.

George Washington is a pretty amazing person. My parents are pretty amazing people as well. In their bathroom they have Glenn Beck’s, Being George Washington. Awhile back, I had a couple of unexpected sit-ins on the throne with Glenn Beck’s book. I only read the preface and the first couple of chapters; from the snippets read I, admittedly, was entertained. He picked good content to write about and he seemed to write about it well.

You do not have to be a historian, or researcher of President George Washington, or an American President’s specialist to understand his basic principles in life. He had a faith, no doubt, but he kept it between him and his “Supreme Being.” Flaunting anything, let alone his religion (that is to say if he really belonged to a specific religion), was not apart of who he was. He encouraged others to have or keep their own faith. He wanted neutrality. He believed in neutrality so much he, not only claimed an independent status politically, he also hoped political parties would never come to fruition in the United States.

The Electoral College unanimously voted for George Washington to be the first President of The United States of America. The leader of a new independent nation. A post completely undefined relative to what anyone had known or experienced before. He set the path. Did he gloat or abuse the power given to him? Interestingly, he didn’t even want the salary offered because he wanted to be seen as a public servant. He took the salary only to pave the way for people less than prosperous an opportunity to serve as president.

Mostly, I wonder what would have happened had he and Sally Fairfax ended up together. Maybe nothing physically ever happened between the two, but their letters show their hearts entwined in ink. Maybe George Washington, even in his personal affairs, chose to move his life in accordance to the common good. Maybe marrying Martha, and her large fortune, was part of something bigger he had in mind. After all, he lost Sally, but granted freedom -with education and pensions- to his slaves.

As things stand now, my parents have no pensions or investments to grant any of their children when they pass. Maybe my dad married his equivalent of Sally Fairfax. In regards to Being George Washington, next time I’m home with a desire to feel king for 30 minutes at a time, I will continue to read Glenn Beck’s rendition of Washington’s story. Hopefully, Mr. Beck hasn’t portrayed him to be greater than the mortal human he was.

Happy George Washington’s Day.