A trip to Dallas with my son to dive into history by Steve Hutchinson
(conservative)
Monday, March 15, 2010
I have made it a point during the senior year of high school to take each of my children on a "one on one" trip. As most parents, I want to create memories for them and have them experience things that we often take for granted. All in all it has turned out well and when they became older, the memories of the trip lasted.
A few months back I had the opportunity to have my youngest son Joshua (who is now 18) join me at the conclusion of a business trip to Dallas. Of course for him he was anticipating a visit to the Dallas Cowboy's new stadium and the opportunity to cheer on our Carolina Panthers in Monday night's game. I had other plans.
On the Sunday before the game, I took him to the Sixth Floor Museum at the Texas School Book Depository. Joshua had no real knowledge of President Kennedy, other than the fact that he was one of our presidents who was assassinated, and why not? As a product of our government's school system, topics with deep historical implications rarely get the study time they should. Knowing this, I believed a firsthand experience would be a enlightened moment for my son.
The museum was well laid out. We explored all the displays on the audio tour and watched the videos of Kennedy's life and our country's reaction to this history changing event. We peered out the perch from where Oswald took the fatal shot. He asked a lot of questions and showed a genuine interest. I watched him carefully as his interest and curiosity was peaked. How he admitted to know little about President Kennedy or even the impact of this historical event on our country.
After we walked the grassy knoll together, he asked a profound question. In so many words he wanted to know how our country would have been different had not the assassin's bullet hit its target. I contemplated my answer and replied, "Son, I don't know". We quietly went to our car, spoke little and settled into our hotel room before lunch. Later gazing out the window, he saw Parkland Hospital, where our President was pronounced dead. He turned and commented "Dad, I had no idea."
More often than not each generation has a "game changer". I believe that was ours.
Think about it.
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Good post Steve, I have had such moments with all four of my kids, all now over 30 and every one of them is a conservative, and I pray more like us will do, or have done the same, maybe the game changer would be our siblings wanting less government in their lives.
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