QUALITY TIME

" . . . at age 24 (1754) Benjamin Banneker built a clock of wood. It kept the time of day and struck the hour.

"Banneker's clock is believed to be the first clock made in the United States. He was a good craftsman, that it kept perfect time his whole life.

"The day of his funeral, his cabin burned to the ground, as did his clock."

Jim Haskins
Outward Dreams: Black Inventors and Their Inventions   2003

Benjamin Banneker's story is one worth reading. He was homeschooled and caught the attention of a Quaker neighbor. George Ellicot noticed Benjamin's facination with how things were put together, and loaned him books to encourage him to continue learning.

Later in life, Benjamin's neighbors thought him lazy because he slept all day. However, he did so because he was calculating the movement of the stars. He determined (and succeeded) to publish the most accurate almanac yet printed.

His talent didn't stop there. Following the Revolutionary War, George Washington set up a commission to design a capital city for the new United States. Three men, including Banneker, worked on that project. However, one man left America and took the plans with him. The officials paniced. How would the city be completed without plans?

But

Benjamin Banneker came to the rescue. He drew the plans from memory!

Children's books often get to the exciting parts of someone's life--and stay there. I've indulged in a few. This story captures me on several levels: homeschooled, unfair judgment, encouragement by a neighbor, determination, and talent. I love inventor stories anyway. They exhibit ingenuity and a level of stubbornness I'd do well to emulate--not giving up just because the road isn't smooth.

Well, I've gone on and on today. Passion is hard to shut up, I guess.

Growing and Wordy,
Lonnie