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Looking Back to Move Forward: A Historical Journey

By Stephen C. Schultz

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
—George Santayana (1863–1952), U.S. philosopher, poet

The breeze blew briskly against my face as the tree limbs swirled in the ever-changing currents of air. A group of us—Kena, Andrea, Erin, Chad, Matt, Shawn, and I—were walking down a street in Philadelphia, heading to Independence Hall in the City of Brotherly Love.

The streets bustled with the energy of the inner city. Elderly women walked arm in arm, shopping bags in hand, window-shopping as they strolled. A young man with gold teeth, baggy pants, and his baseball cap turned sideways leaned against the corner of a building, talking on a payphone. (I noticed this because, in a time when almost everyone has a cell phone, it looked unusual.) Others sat at small round tables on the sidewalk outside cafés and bistros, laughing and discussing life’s experiences with friends and family.

The constant hum of cars and trucks, exhaust billowing, and horns honking surrounded us. The air carried the mixed scents of restaurant food, cigarette smoke, and the pungent odor of urine from the subway. On the corner, a man in his mid-thirties played jazz on his guitar for tips. Half a block down, a group of three men, all dressed in black leather with silver spikes, stood in an imposing stance. The man in the middle stood on a small platform, speaking into a microphone, passionately recounting the hardships and injustices African Americans had endured at the hands of the white man. There was no crowd, no fear—just people continuing with their business as usual.

We were in town for the semi-annual IECA conference, a gathering where therapeutic schools and programs connect with educational consultants from across the country. Much of our time was spent renewing friendships and staying informed on the latest trends in the treatment of troubled teens.

As I passed by the Liberty Bell and approached Independence Hall, I found myself lost in thought about our Founding Fathers. Was this the America that George Washington, James Madison, or Benjamin Franklin had envisioned? Were there troubled teens in the late 1700s? Did young people struggle with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and ADHD back then? Were such conditions simply un-diagnosable at the time? Or are these challenges—ones so many teens face today—products of a more modern culture? I don’t know.

However, it does seem that the principles upheld and practiced in the formation of our nation are the same ones needed to navigate life’s obstacles today. Determination, courage, faithfulness, self-discipline, unity, excellence, humility, idealism, loyalty, patience, confidence, justice, and sacrifice—these were the traits of the Founding Fathers, and they remain timeless.

While this great nation grants us the freedom to “pursue happiness,” it does not guarantee happiness. Nor does it free us from life’s struggles. Maybe—just maybe—it is by understanding where we have been and learning from the past that we gain the perspective needed to navigate the future in our never-ending pursuit of happiness.

Please share a comment. I’m interested in hearing others’ thoughts on this matter.

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