Born February 22, 1732 to Augustine and Mary (Ball) Washington at Wakefield Farm, Westmoreland County, Virginia.
1748 (age sixteen) begins his career as a surveyor.
January 6, 1759 marries Martha Dandridge Custis, widow of Daniel Parke Custis. Washington assumes parental care of her children, Martha ("Patsy") and John Parke ("Jacky"). 
An impressive military career that began at age twenty-two when in April-May 1754, he lead Virginia forces against French at Fort Duquesne in the upper Ohio River Valley and built Fort Necessity at Great Meadows, Pennsylvania. 
What a grand appropriate ceremony that first inauguration must have been, here was a man that could easily have taken up the position of king, took weeks to travel to the place of his inauguration and met with many celebrations along his trip, yet he remained humble, refused to be a king. His influence, if not his political party, remained with many presidents to come and a young nation.
"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be." - From the Proclamation of National Thanksgiving And now, as promised, a few selections from George Washington's book Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior.
Listen up professional baseball players and hip hop singers.
When in company, put not your hands to any part of the body not usually discovered.
Madonna, Janet...junior high girl down the street.
Put not off your clothes in the presence of others, nor go out of your chamber half dressed.
Hello?!
When you sit down keep your feet firm and even; without putting one on the other or crossing them.
Back off close talkers and stop jiggling.
Shake not the head, feet or legs; roll not the eyes,; lift not one eyebrow higher than the other, wry not the mouth, and bedew no man's face with your spittle by approaching to near to him when you speak.
Okay, everyone turn your heads.
Kill no vermin, fleas. lice, ticks, etc. in the site of others.
Oh wait you can't.
Turn not you back to others, especially in speaking.
5 comments:
Wouldn't it be a much nicer world if people really tried to practice common decency and civility, along with good manners ? Unfortunately that is the job of parents to teach children and most of the parents today lack a modicum of decency! ( How many "nice" men , young or middle aged will give up their seat to an older woman? etc..?
It used to be the poor and ignorant who were known to not know any better, now it is the rich and famous and wanna be's.
Just as common sense being a very uncommon trait - common decency has taken a long hiatus. Don't spit on people when you are close talking (loved that one) - and don't go out on the street wearing less clothing than people in the 20th century wore for undergarments!DH and I continue to be stunned by the lack of table manners (one reason I hate to go out to eat - being seated near an open mouth eater can really do a person harm) and in general - folks don't get "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" - be NICE. Yes Kathy is right - the idols of society are the worse violators of decency norms. whoa - a mean old lady rant - SORRY!Thanks for the primer on George -
You've shamed me into leaving my whoopi cushion at home now when I'm headed to church.
A bit of a history lesson today. You know I never liked History much when I was in school, but this was interesting now that I am all grown up, ha!
Oh, you're funny! Thanks for popping in to see me!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
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