{"id":7601,"date":"2008-01-17T08:45:44","date_gmt":"2008-01-17T13:45:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=7601"},"modified":"2022-10-14T13:57:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-14T17:57:16","slug":"happy-birthday-to-ben-franklin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=7601","title":{"rendered":"Happy birthday to Ben Franklin"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have only a few years to live and I am resolved to devote them to the work that my fellow citizens deem proper for me; or speaking as old-clothes dealers do of a remnant of goods, ‘You shall have me for what you please.’ —<\/p>\n

Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Rush, before leaving for France in 1776<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ben Franklin was born on this day in 1706. His accomplishments make me feel like a teeny homunculit or an unproductive one-celled organism. I read his lifestory and just think: But … but … how … how … how (How-ARD. Howard!) … What a mind. What curiosity. What humor. Of all of the Founding Fathers, he seems the most human to me. Even though what he managed to do in his life is almost super-human. And any ONE of those things (the almanac<\/a>, the kite, the Declaration of Independence, his sojourn in Paris)<\/a> would have been enough to put him in the history books forever. But all of it? It’s unbelievable. But still – even with all of that – somehow he seems the most … accessible. Perhaps because he wrote a pamphlet about farts. Because of his almanac, and how funny it is. Perhaps because beneath all of it – you sense a man who LIVED. He was brilliant, of course – but … he also seemed to be very much of this earth. He liked to drink, play cards, read, flirt … His intelligence was of a wide scope. He inquired about everything. That is a mark of true intelligence: can you admit how much you DON’T know?<\/p>\n

Every year I commemorate the day that the Library Company opened <\/a>– which is one of my favorite stories of Franklin’s life – the creation of that library, still a library today. Awe-inspiring.<\/p>\n

Things he invented, investigated, developed – electricity, bifocals, the fire department in Philadelphia, the glass armonica<\/a>, the list goes on and on. Wind-surfing across a pond, etc. Love the guy!!<\/p>\n

I love this – I found this on the Library of Congress website. In response to the Stamp Act – which impacted Franklin’s newspaper (and all newspapers) because it had to be printed on stamped paper – Franklin printed the following, on November 7, 1765. No date, no masthead, no page numbers.<\/p>\n

\nBen Franklin said, “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.” Reminds me of Henry Miller’s great quote: “Develop interest in life as you see it, in people, things, literature, music – the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.”<\/p>\n

That, to me, describes Benjamin Franklin.<\/p>\n

Happy birthday, Ben!<\/p>\n

Update<\/i>: I knew Alex had written a fun tribute to him last year. Just tracked it down<\/a>!<\/p>\n

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