How would you like to stumble across a story where a president helps a famous writer write great literature? Well, that’s exactly what I found in Zachary Taylor’s biography.* Let me tell you about it.
First, let me introduce you to the characters of this story. Zachary Taylor was a famous Mexican-American War general and then elected president of the United States. Pretty good street cred, right?
Then there’s Nathaniel Hawthorne. You might know him as a great American writer, but before he was famous, he landed a comfortable government job thanks to President James K. Polk. Polk was a Democrat. Taylor, on the other hand, was a Whig—the party that would eventually morph into the Republicans.
Now, Zachary Taylor did not make the decision himself, but a member of his administration decided to let Nathaniel Hawthorne go in favor of a loyal Whig. That was the way it was—“to the victor go the spoils.”
So, out of a job, what did Hawthorne do? He decided to double down on his writing. During this time, Nathaniel wrote The House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter—two of the most important books in American literature. Conceivably, Hawthorne would never have written these classics had he not been let go.
That reminds me of something Taylor Sheridan recently revealed. The man behind Yellowstone, 1883, Landman, and more said that when actor Jon Bernthal beat him out for a part in The Walking Dead, he decided to quit acting and try writing screenplays. Looking back, Sheridan declared that rejection gave him his career.
Sometimes, a setback is just a setback. But sometimes, it’s the push we need to do something amazing. So next time something bad befalls you, ask yourself: is this the start of something better?
Maybe it is:
- starting a business
- writing a book
- writing a song
- forming a new relationship
- reconciling an old relationship
The list is endless.
Mark
Dr. Mark Edge
The WorkEdge Company
Telephone: 903-245-7851
Email: workedgetexas@gmail.com
Website: www.workedgetexas.com
Author of Holy Chaos. To purchase the book, click here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mark+edge&crid=3B1BM6W3LHOG0&sprefix=%2Caps%2C137&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_2_0_recent
WorkEdge leverages AI as a resource. While this material was not written or generated by AI, the editing was informed by AI tools.
* Zachary Taylor: Soldier in the White House Vol. 2 by Holman Hamilton