The formative years

Last summer on the tail end of a family trip to Cape Cod, I was able to take my wife and son to Concord, Massachusetts, to show them the town of my birth. Born at Emerson Hospital back in 1968, my family spent the first five years of my life there before moving on to Connecticut. Having just a few hours to spend touring the town that day, it nonetheless was a special opportunity to share with them, and a personal highlight of the trip for us.

Those first five years of life represent the foundational period for brain development; 90% of brain growth occurs during this time. The experiences in these years don’t just influence development, they literally shape brain structure through neuroplasticity. Most of us are aware of this fact when we consider how trauma/abuse can be so deeply wounding to a child and have persistent adverse impacts into adulthood. Positive experiences resonate out through our life as well. Suffice it to say, experiences “wire” the brain in ways far beyond our understanding. So where were you for your first five years?

Place impacts experience, ergo place impacts brain development. I didn’t really consider this when I was younger, but as I’ve proceeded down this path of life and looked back over my shoulder, I can more clearly see how these influences have played out in my character development as well as my personal decision making.

Back to Concord and those formative years... Concord is primarily remembered for its place in the American Revolution War. It is considered the “Birthplace of American Independence” as it was the site of the early Revolutionary battle and the “shot heard ’round the world” on April 19, 1775. Minute Man National Historical Park, established in 1959, stands as a testament to this important piece of history. Outside the museum and at the foot of what was once the Old North bridge stand a couple of monuments. The first of which is the 1836 Battle Monument (obelisk). This 25-foot granite obelisk was erected in 1836 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the battle and was dedicated on July 4, 1837. Notably at the ceremony, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous poem “Concord Hymn,” written for the dedication ceremony, was first sung at that time. 

The second monument at the battleground site is the 1875 Minute Man statue (see above). Designed by Daniel Chester French (who would later design the statue of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in the mid-1910’s), the bronze statue, cast from melted-down Civil War cannons was unveiled on April 19, 1875, for the centennial of the battle. 

The statue’s pedestal bears the first stanza of Emerson’s “Concord Hymn.” Below is the entirety of the poem and hymn.

As a young boy, I remember reading several fictional books in the local schools about these events.

Sam the Minuteman, written in 1969, was a children’s novel aimed at teaching children to read. It was an early favorite read of mine and described what it must have been like for a young boy to fight in the famous American Revolutionary battle. 

My Brother Sam is Dead, written in 1974 and awarded the Newberry Honor in 1975, is again set during the American Revolutionary War and centers on a young boy named Tim whose older brother Sam leaves to fight for the Patriots, creating a rift with their Loyalist father. April Morning, written in 1961, follows 15-year-old Adam chronicling his experience and coming of age during the 24 hours surrounding the battle of Concord in April 1775. Forced maturation through trauma and loss.