You probably knew he invented the Franklin Stove, a closed fire stove. Do you know why he invented it? The common cause of death among women was not childbearing but burning to death. Their skirts would catch fire in the kitchen. Kitchens regularly burned down because of the open hearths, which is why they were usually built separate from the house. Did you know he also did not patent it? He wanted everyone to have one, even they built it themselves.
Did you know he didn't invent Daylight Saving Time (DST)? Yeah, I didn't either until I started doing some research. He did write about it in a piece of satire. Satire is supposed to be a joke. DST wasn't proposed officially until 1895.
He proposed to his wife when he was only 17. Her mother didn't think Benjamin was a particularly good prospect, so Deborah Read married someone else. The weasel left her to avoid his debt. Because no one knew what happened to him, Deborah was not allowed to marry again. Benjamin took her as a common-law wife. She accepted his illegitimate son and raised him. Benjamin and Deborah had two daughters. The first died of smallpox at 4 years old. The second married and had seven children.
He wasn't a perfect man. He was an amazing man. He was a writer, inventory, statesman, abolitionist, Founding Father, and so much more. I read about his accomplishments and think to myself, "I am such a slacker." He never stopped exploring his world, learning, adding to our base of knowledge by his own experimenting. I know many like to spread the stories about some of the outrageous things he did and fail to acknowledge the remarkable courage and strength and honor to stay true to who he was and what he believed in.
Do I have the same courage to stay the course? To step forward boldly, to become who I am meant to be?
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