### May 12 On May 12, 1780, I was serving as the aide-de-camp to General Washington. We were building defenses around West Point, New York, when suddenly we heard a loud explosion. I immediately jumped on my horse and rode towards sound, only to find that it was just a group of soldiers celebrating with a cannon they had found in the woods! As much as I enjoy a good celebration, I couldn't help but be concerned about their safety and discipline. So, I decided to give them a little lecture, which turned out to be quite funny. I pointed out that the cannon was not designed for a wild party, and if they continued to misuse it, it might blow up in their faces. I also reminded them that such behavior was not becoming of soldiers, and that they should focus on their duty to the nation. But the fun fact is that this was not the first time I had to deal with a cannon incident. Only a year before, on May 12, 1779, I led an attack on British forces at Stony Point in New York. During the battle, we captured 15 cannons and had to use them to defend ourselves against a counter-attack. One of the cannons got stuck in the mud, which caused a delay in our operations. I remember being frustrated because we did not have time for these hiccups, but looking back, it's amusing to think that May 12 seems to be a day of cannon-related incidents in my life. All in all, I had a good laugh with the soldiers that day, and I like to think that I taught them a valuable lesson about responsibility and discipline. As for me, I learned that sometimes you just have to laugh and roll with the punches, even when dealing with something as serious as war.