San Francisco Street Scene

This street mural caught my eye as we were driving out of San Francisco. Taken through the dirty windshield of a moving car, there wasn't much time for planning, but  I think it gives an accurate picture of what a big city intersection looks like...construction, trolley lines, scraggly looking street trees, a person walking looking down at his phone, old buildings with character, newer ones with none, signs, chain link fences with decorations and, of course a delightful mural which is the antithesis of everything else.

Tim and Olive came up for a quick visit today, so we assembled the family for a recap of 'Hamilton'. When Tim arrived, he asked me if I liked it, and I said we both loved it. His next question was, 'why?' I think it is a frequently asked question ...how can a musical, a rap musical no less, about  America's ten dollar bill  Founding Father be such a smash hit? 

After we all talked about it he said, "I kept thinking it was hype (he is a bit of a cynic) but I TRUST you guys".
Then Dana dragged him off to watch a Public television production called 'The making of Hamilton' which we recorded months ago and she has seen many times before. I put a couple of pictures in extras. Dana and friends with Michael Luwoye, who played Hamilton and Jordan Donica who played Jefferson.

I think Lin-Manuel Miranda did a brilliant job of distilling the important moments of our history and setting them to music which made them both modern and relevant. The themes of love and death and forgiveness,, friendship and betrayal,  caution and optimism and impulsiveness and passion are all skillfully woven into non-stop  action, which is almost visceral at times, by an incredibly talented cast of 'immigrants'. And for some perverse reason, I think it makes us all feel better about our country at a time when we feel like the laughing stock of the world. Perhaps it gives hope to the young immigrants who are willing to fight...

Hamilton has produced a lot of memorable quotes which will be printed on tee shirts for years to come....

I'm just like my country, I'm young, scrappy and hungry and  I'm not throwing away my shot! 
-Alexander Hamilton

We are outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, outplanned, we gotta make an all out stand.
-George Washington

You'll be back.
-King George


I was too young and blind to see...I should've known, I should've known the world was wide enough for both Hamilton and me....
- Aaron Burr