When George III received the Declaration, he didn’t wonder about it. In fact, he mostly ignored it. One of the articles I found made the analogy to having young children that constantly ask for the same thing over and over again… to the point that you literally don’t hear it. There is a story of my daughter at 3 asking repeatedly to help her do something … and me through the early morning haze saying “in a few minutes”… a few times…. hearing her say “Dad is a few 2 or 3?” In his speech to Parliament, he said that everything they had – their land, sea, wealth, and strength – were all because of him. He drafted an “Answer to the Declaration” saying they were only upset because the King had promised freedom to the slaves, and mocking the “All men are created equal..”. Oh… and He didn’t think they even had the right to protest….
The term “Libertarian” has become vogue again, but it was born from rage and anger that is another quality of toddler’s… “I do it”. As they grow, they don’t like being taken care of. On a walk recently, my 4 year old granddaughter said “Why does HE get to be the Line Leader?” These colonists started seeing not only were they being “helped” in ways that were not helpful, they were being used…. and mislead. But that was not enough – they had to realize that to change that, they would have to give up some of that freedom to work with other colonies that they may or may not really agree with. People forget that each colony was VERY different, and they ONLY came together because those differences were less than the major differences they all had with England. Calming that rage and anger through the determination of writing it down in ways that were clear and unambiguous – well we don’t wonder now how that turned out…
Rich Williams lost his eye on the 4th of July just as he started the 7th grade. Nearly dying, he was patched up, and soon met Phil Ehart. With bands exploding after the Beatles, he got a guitar and quickly started drifting between bands- because everyone was playing covers. That became boring, until one band wondered what those songs would sound like “arranged” differently. Rewriting them to change guitar breaks to the keyboard, and even to the violin… that gave them a sound that was unique. When Phil returned from England, Rich was the first person he called, and they assembled most of that “arranging” group together. As he said “Individually, the members of Kansas are all pretty darn good, but collectively, the sum of the parts is incomparable”When you hear Jeff Beck play as a soloist, then you know it is him. But with Kansas, what is most identifiable is the sound that we all make as a unit.”
… but we may wonder what is coming next. The early differences between the colonies made keeping them together a constant struggle through the War. I have been working lately with teams that are moving quickly to adapt to the changes around us all. Many had been wondering for months about something – thinking it through, nuances to consider, thinking deeply… and then… boom… Fireworks. Change arrives, unites those differences quickly into execution, and breakthroughs happen. Many are now trying to write down what will continue that pace of change – the ability to wonder constantly about their work – what can be improved, what are they overlooking, who needs to be brought on board – arranging their own “music” differently to develop a new unique sound.
Rich is a HUGE guy, the one in the overalls at the beginning, and the Tux in later videos, and now a permanent “mask” over one eye. He calls the band “the adventure of his life, and he left everything he had on the field with no regrets.” In this season, we are wondering what comes next – and from the first notes of Rich’s guitar solo, you know it is Kansas as the band plays in. On the eve of the 4th, these words from Leftoverture are sufficient to contemplate – to wonder what you want for you – and for all of us. Together. “I’m woven in a fantasy, I can’t believe the things I see, The path that I have chosen now has led me to a wall, And with each passing day I feel a little more like something dear was lost, It rises now before me, a dark and silent barrier between, All I am and all that I would ever want to be.”
