Passive Inspiration by Abigail

Passive Inspiration by Abigail - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

It’s easy to toss around phrases like “I’m inspired!” Grammatically speaking, the verb is active. It makes me sound special, and maybe a little arrogant. I think the word has far more depth of meaning if it is used passively. Someone else is special; someone else brings up those wells of emotion in you that cause you to desire to rise above your status quo. Being inspired by someone simply on the basis of their fame or wealth is, in my opinion, not a great reason for spending time with them. If I could have dinner with anyone in history I wouldn’t choose a movie millionaire, a Wall Street tycoon, or a pop star celebrity. It’s cool, of course, but it has little meaning. That’s why I would choose to have dinner with someone that inspires me, not to be famous, but to live a life of significance; an inspiration to emulate their qualities and character. That’s why I would have dinner with the second United States president, John Adams.

John Adams isn’t one of the most popular presidents. It’s not really even a name that you can say in any circle today and everyone will know who you’re talking about, unlike George Washington. To understand my interest in him, you have to know that I love history and that I grew up with an inexplicable prejudice against a certain president. I knew next to nothing about him, but I disliked him strongly. I decided that was a lousy reason to be against anyone, so I decided to give him a fair trial by reading up on him. However, I’m also slightly OCD, as they say, and I couldn’t bring myself to read about that president without reading about all the other presidents…in order. Enter John Adams.

As I mentioned before, he wasn’t a popular president. He was thought to be a bit full of himself at times and brusque when his decisions were questioned. It’s hard to follow an act like George Washington. Not only that, as president, he made quite a few political fumbles, most notably the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 which basically made speaking poorly of the president a crime.

So he wasn’t perfect. Who is, really? After all that, why would I want to meet him for dinner? In spite of his flaws, John Adams had a few core strengths of character that cause me to respect him far above many other historical figures. He was a man who strove to do the right thing, no matter the consequences to his personal reputation. He sincerely loved his family. He was proud of his country and worked hard to make the new nation succeed. He was very influential in causing the U.S. to be recognized as a free, independent country. He was incredibly loyal and faithful to his friends, his people, and his God.

I would love to meet him; to spend an hour or two over a simple meal; to thank him for his service to our country; to commend him for those qualities that seem to be so rare in these modern times. I think meeting him would encourage me and inspire me to grow and form these things in my own life; to become a better person.