Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton awakened me to the history of a man whose life I knew little, apart from the deadly duel and his portrait on the ten-dollar bill. Then I read Ron Chernow’s dense biography, Alexander Hamilton, upon which the musical is based. They made history exciting!

When I was a junior in high school, I was in love with a tall, blond, tennis player. Every day in my US History class, I wrote him a love note. History, with its focus on wars, battle strategies, and politics, bored me. Names void of personal narratives failed to intrigue me. Man’s inhumanity to man-made my blood boil. That part hasn’t changed!

I’ve recently come to value the evolution of events – a genius Founder inspired a prize-winning writer who enthused a talented musician. But it’s a greater joy to understand each person’s strengths and struggles, loves, and losses, motivations, and abilities. I’m fascinated by the scope of the journey and how they overcame adversity to accomplish what they brought to fruition. No longer are they person-less names, with a title and a dash between birth and death.

My point is not to criticize my history teacher or feel guilty, but rather to appreciate the humanity of Hamilton, Miranda, and Chernow. It’s the stories of their lives that stimulate and satisfy my curiosity. Although I’m coming late to embrace history, I’m grateful that it’s never too late to change.