Sitting down with the General by Emma

Sitting down with the General by Emma - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

It may be cliché but whenever asked this question or a question along the same lines, my answer has always been George Washington. Most people say George Washington just because he is considered the father of our nation, the first president. While that is a part of the reason why I’ve always wanted to meet George Washington, there’s more to it for me. George Washington was a remarkable man. Upon the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, Washington did not want to be president. All he wanted was to return to his farm in Virginia and live a peaceful life. But Washington answered the call to be from the citizens of the brand new country and agreed to be president. Without Washington as our first president, this would not be the country it is today. Washington was essential to navigating the early years of thirteen colonies coming together to form one united country.
I would love to sit down with him over dinner and just talk about his life. It would be amazing to hear about his struggles with the French and Indian war and then the Revolutionary War. To learn about how he rallied the colonies to overcome immense odds and come out victorious. I would love to hear the thoughts that ran through his head as he decided to put duty above personal inclination. This especially intrigues me. The fact that Washington did not want to be president but did it out of the love for his new country. This is rare to find people who do this, especially in today’s society where people will put themselves above all else and don’t really know what the word “selfless” means.
Washington did so much for our country. If I could have dinner with any president, it would be him so I could learn how to leave my mark on the world like he did. And so I could talk to a man that is immortal in the sense that generations and generations of people will know his name and his contribution to this country and to the world.