Ben Franklin Wanted Us All to be in Charge of Our Own Lives, What Happened?

Books became a constant point of interest and information for me over the decades of my life to seek out answers to not only how to think and be positive but to see how other people of history lived. I was reading to see what obstacles they had to overcome if any and how they overcame them. What I discovered is that many of the "leaders" we Americans admire are not squeaky clean themselves.  Many came from harsh childhoods with dire financial situations. This kind of history makes for good business heads and ultimate success it seems, if you don't give up.

Men like Benjamin Franklin fascinate me. He was born the son of a soap maker in Boston, MA.  As was customary for a male, he was sent to his brother as an apprentice to learn a trade. His brother had a newspaper and Benjamin was not the most attentive student. When he worked for his brother, (At one point his brother was jailed for daring to write a piece against the governor at that time. BF was greatly influenced by this event.)Not only did this article sell many newspapers, he noticed the general public enjoyed articles that challenged the establishment.

BF’s brother would not allow him to write for the paper, so at 15 y o, he decided to write in to the publisher as a widow, pen name “Silence Dogood.”  He decided he would write things that were morally upright to influence the readers to be morally good people. But BF would not stay here long, BF was not as attentive as his brother thought he should be and because of this, his brother beat him constantly. (Beating your apprentice was allowed) Tired of being beaten and not one to conform, Benjamin ran away.

He ran to Philadelphia, PA and became a fugitive working in print shops setting type until at 17 he went to England on the quest of Governor Keith to buy equipment to start another paper.  

But when he sailed across the ocean to London, England and needed money promised by Keith to buy the equipment, Keith did not send it. Alone, he continued to work in printing shops and returned to America. Can you imagine being alone in a foreign country with no money at such a young age? He worked and earned passage home. Great example of fearlessness to imitate.

Upon his return he was living in a boarding house owned and run by a widow and her daughter, after some time he proposed to the daughter but the daughter could not marry him because she had been married previously and the man ran off with her dowry, and never returned. This left the woman unable to remarry because of bigamy laws. She was not able to divorce the husband without his presence to sign.  This did not stop BF, he established a common law marriage with Deborah Read.  Deborah was a business woman like her mother who ran the boarding house.  

BF liked an independent woman. 

Independent she was, later when he announced he was going to France as the Minister to France, he had not built her the house he promised her for years.  Deborah knowing what a wandering soul he was, knew that even though he promised to return in 2-3 years, to begin the house upon his return that he may not come back for 10.  So as soon as BF was on the ship, she made the plans and built the house by herself.  (She was the shopkeeper of another business she and BF had begun.) She managed the store, she arranged the architect to draw up blueprints, hired the workmen, and managed the finances of all successfully. It was good that she did because years later, (He was gone 15 years,) she would become sick and die before he could make it back. I’m thankful she was able to support herself and build the house of her dreams. My God what a woman!

While in Europe BF was intrigued by the lifestyle of the Aristocratic society and they were curious about this wild frontiersman from America.  When the elites saw his raccoon hat, everyone wanted to buy it.  Always looking for ways to make money, BF jumped on this idea and sent word back to the colonies to have these hats made by the dozens.  Every box sent to him, he sold out. He sold to the elite for $25 apiece. Wherever he was, he found ways to make money.  BF was a free spirit and he wanted us all to be free spirits too living in this new land.

BF was a creative mind,because of the talker he was and the salesman he was, France embraced him and he stayed in the finest castles and homes while there. He even was seen by another American diplomat that would report back home, that BF was sitting in a bath tub with an older woman, feet to feet with a board between them, across the tub playing chess.  This bath was full of ice water, replenished periodically by servants to keep the occupants cool in the hot weather.  He was not concerned about being judged by anyone, that he was married, neither was she.  Ooh la la…   He just lived. 

Now I don’t know what BF said to himself in times like these considering he started writing at such a young age 12, writing his “Mrs. Dogood” column to influence the higher morality of the American people but my God, I love his free spirit and his powerful position in congress that put in place many mechanisms to keep the citizens of our land, free from tyranny, free from royal rule, free to make our own commerce. 

He started out his life as common as you and me. He made his way by working from the ground up, and he was not afraid to make money and he knew to do that you had to have a business of your own that operated when you were not there. His wife ran his shop and their farm back in the states while he was absent. I’m sure multi-level marketing would have been one of his businesses. The idea of a customer logging in and shopping online while he slept would have thrilled him!  I know it does me! 

This mentality that we need a boss, or government to take care of us our entire life is to be weakened of our potential.  We each have something of value to give to the world, but we have to change our paradigm.  We have to get out of this brainwashing that we are not able, especially women, like me, we have to get out of the house and out from behind the pants leg of our men.  I know these fears well, I have lived them. I’m changing my paradigm. (My sub-conscious beliefs)

Here’s a tip: My experience has proven that men in general in this USA do not mind women being a “leader” of their own business and life.  They just don’t want to be left behind, forgotten, seen as weak, it is their nature to protect and provide. A woman with knowledge and kindness in her speech that never wavers excites strong men and inspires them.

Ben Franklin did have something not everyone has…emigrant parents/grand parents that came here with a will to be free.  How lucky you are to have emigrant parents, if you do, with that fire in their belly to be free, honest, citizens’ to give you a better life.  

This is something I have forgotten at times, how wonderful is to be born here. At times I have taken my American life for granted, when we have it all here we need only to reach out and legally go after it with a strong backbone and kind voice.

Ben Franklin was a huge proponent of free speech and helped put it into law. By the time of his death he had his eyes open that all government in time can turn into a despotic one, it seems the nature of man.  That the “leader” can give him/her self-exemption from all laws.  This kind of division can make the states separate and find ruin from within.  A governing body is needed whenever people gather but with limited powers lest the people who agreed to the formation of it for "individual freedom" be forgot.

If you want to have an online business here's a suggestion of the one I chose, "Isagenix" but you can choose one of your own.  If you want the finest vitamins and supplements, (not full of fillers) protein shakes, these are a good choice.  You can go to: www.candynewton.isagenix.com  sign yourself up to buy your own vitamins, sent to your door no less, no pressure. All the information is online to answer your questions.  If you can’t find an answer email me, I can direct you to a source that can.  

Join another MLM of your choice, the lesson here is get started now, there are many out there, many of them are good. Do your research, choose wisely. Tomorrow I will write about things to consider before joining one, things we learned the hard way so you don't have to. I know Ben would have joined one for sure. He had his hands in everything to make money. BF would have done his research.

We are one.