Lincoln, Grant and George Washington demonstrate what happens when you refuse to give up in three documentaries currently on Amazon Prime.
Abraham Lincoln's life was rough. If you ever look closely at pictures of him, you can tell that being president took a big toll on him. Yes, presidents seem to age faster than normal. Lincoln had a good reason. States were leaving the union and a horrible war began.
Before becoming president, he started out poor. His mother died when he was still young. His father sort of raised him on a farm in the middle of no where. Abe was interested in getting an education, but his father had no interest in it. They had nothing in common and didn't get along.
He ran for President once and lost. This caused him to become depressed at times, but somehow he pulled himself together and ran again.
When he was elected, he had to hide because many people wanted to assassinate him. The south didn't like him, of course, because they didn't want to give up slavery. Lincoln was not an abolitionist at the time, but he opposed the expansion of slavery, which the South saw as a threat. As the war went on, Lincoln became more determined to end slavery, which made him a target.
I can't say too much more without giving out spoilers, but in general, he was always struggling with something. He showed a lot of patience. Inch by inch, he put an end to the war. No wonder he is famous and widely admired today. Sadly, his life was cut short just as he finally put the country back together. He never got to see anything beyond it.
Ulysses S. Grantalso grew up poor. Other kids made fun of his name, but one thing made him happy. He loved horses and became an amazing rider. This led to him joining the military.
Drinking was common in the military at that time. Grant resorted to drinking when he was bored or missing his family. One time he ended up too drunk and was forced to resign. He ended up a farmer struggling to make ends meet because, other than being in the military, he had no other skills. The farm didn't do well. He was often desperate and hungry.
Yet, through everything, he ends up back in the military and becomes a general. He even meets with Lincoln and becomes one of his most trusted men. Grant had to witness horrific battles and fields covered in dead bodies. All the while, chain smoking cigars. The South was tough and stubborn, but so was Grant. People overlooked his bad habits because they needed him to win the war.
As for George Washington, he certainly was a noble person. Yet, he came from an era that was brutal. I knew he had great military success, but I didn’t know how harsh he had to be with disobedient soldiers. At times, he ordered his own soldiers to be whipped for being lazy. Deserters could be shot. Another time, some soldiers were doubting him and trying to rebel. He had the leader of the rebellion shot by his own followers. If they didn’t shoot him, they were going to be executed.
Originally, he was hired by the British military who taught him how to handle disobedience. Although, they didn't treat him very well. They looked down on Americans, finding them crude and backward. That's one thing that led to Washington wanting independence.
Eventually, he was tasked with putting together an army with Americans who tended to be undisciplined and needing a lot of training. Then he had to face a massive, intimidating British army. In one scene, he went to a harbor and saw hundreds of British ships heading his way. His expression said, "How am I going to fight them with THESE men?"
He didn't do well at first, and in one harsh winter his men nearly starved to death. Overtime, we know he succeeded. George stands out in history because of how he fought for an independent America. It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for him.
Overall, these documentaries kept me interested, showing how these men over came so much, including their lives. It could be fiction, but even better, it’s real life.
While I love fantasy and science fiction, I also like a wide variety of shows. I've watched all the seasons of Cobra Kai. I enjoyed the final episodes (on Netflix.) It starts out a little slow with some backstory about what the characters have been doing. I enjoyed it. Some times you need to slow down and do some reflection. By the third episode, things really kick into gear. I don’t want to give anything away, but there are just some shockers that happen. I also like the way they review the past of Daniel and Johnny. The way they tie it all together works well.
If you have never seen this show, it would be good watch the first Karate Kid movie (1984) where Daniel and Johnny fight each other for the first time. Cobra Kai picks up where Daniel and Johnny are now middle-aged adults who start their dojos up again. A lot of the story involves their own kids and also other kids who join the dojos. Like the Karate Kid movie, the main character kids learn karate to protect themselves from bullying. Also, the series involves the former sensi's of Johnny. John Kreese and Terry Silver, both awesome bad guys.
Critically speaking, if I had to say anything negative about the series is that sometimes they seemed to throw in a fight scene, just to have a fight scene. Perhaps to fill in a slow moment or to give the fans what they want.
In the final season, Terry Silver becomes more hate-able than ever. He sinks to new lows, which makes for a great story. Johnny Lawrence has been one of my favorite characters throughout the series, even though he started out as a bad guy. In season one, he is a loser who drinks too much and sleeps on the floor of his tiny apartment. He doesn't like his life and wants to do more, so he starts up Cobra Kai again. Much to Daniel's horror. I know a great character arc when I see one, and Johnny's story really hooked me. He steps up in the climax. The ending does not disappoint.
I might go back and watch the last season all over again.
Just when you think I'm never posting to my blog again, here it is.....
I've been working on a Fantasy/Romance Novel called "A Land of Fear and Fire" It's about a young lady who wants to free her people who are enslaves by half-dragon, half human corrupted beings. Her people are forced to mine for an element that gives the half-breeds power. Without it, they return to human form. I have the draft finished and now I'm working on the sequel. I hope to have both published sometime next year.
I recently finished reading a book called "Beneath a Scarlet Sky" By Mark Sullivan. It's about an Italian young man during WW2 who ends up being a driver for a Nazi general. At first he doesn't want to do this, but it ends up being perfect for spying and sending the resistance information. What made this book really good is the fact that it's a true story. The main character, Pino, had an amazing life. I think this story could be a great series.
For just .99 cents, I recently took an online class called "Copy Writing for Social Media." The class was on the website Domestika, which offers creative classes at low prices. You can choose from crafts, writing, fashion, web/app design, culinary, photograph and much more. Copy Writing, which is basically writing for ads, looks easy on the surface, but it's really not. Copy Writers do a lot of research before writing a few lines or a coming up with ideas for a 30 second commercial. It was fun trying to come up with a tag line and a blurb for social media.
Lastly, I have finished painting two rooms in my house. The kitchen was the hardest to paint because of the cabinets. In the small, bed room I had to remove one wall of wall paper and a boarder. Wall paper is a real pain. It's hard work, and I also look it as exercise, except you get something out of it. My goal is to redecorate every room in the house, but I'm taking a break for the holidays.
