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By Susan Gower “We study the past to understand the present;we understand the present to guide the future.” Would you believe I have the power to turn off the sun?” Jim Carr walks up and down the aisle of the train car, his face serious, asking every child he encounters. “In a few minutes, I’ll prove it to you.” Suddenly the train goes dark. A few seconds later, it emerges from the tunnel, sunlight floods the train and Carr beams at the awed children. Carr, age 75, describes himself as a “retired, but not tired” professional volunteer. Wearing his official green National Park Service shirt, he is volunteering with the Trails and Rails program, a partnership program between the National Park Service and Amtrak. Today Carr is riding the Empire Builder between Chicago and Winona, Minnesota. Through the wide windows of the observation car, he points out buildings and cornfields, rivers and small towns and has a story to tell about everything he sees. Everyone has a story to tell. What does your grandchild know about you? That you like to go fishing? That you taught her how to sew? That you make good mashed potatoes? But does your grandchild know that your family immigrated to the United States when you were a child? Does he know that you survived a war, or perhaps that you were in Dallas on the day President Kennedy was shot? Does she know that her mother could hit a homerun? Today, families may live far from one another, or be divided by divorce. There may be fewer chances to sit around the dinner table with family members of all ages, or to talk while doing the dishes or sitting on the porch. There may be fewer opportunities to pass along stories, knowledge and values from one generation to another. Each of us is the sum of everything that has happened to us. Our lives are affected by events, large and small, good and bad, that happened in the past. Understanding our past can help guide our actions in the future. Therefore, it is important to help your grandchildren learn about her own history and history in general. “History can seem like an acquired taste – there are a lot of facts, people, dates, and other details that can make it seem cluttered, confusing and hard. Because things seem more important when they have a personal significance to people, I’ve tried to appeal to people’s personal experiences and interests in my projects. Kids are far more interested in history if it’s about them – where do they come from, why is their community the way it is, who lived in my bedroom before me, what did mom look like when she was my age? In that regard, the relationship between grandparent and child can be strengthened through storytelling, etc,” says Aleah Vinick, Program Associate for the Minnesota Historical Society, who has planned many intergenerational projects. In order to know who we are and how we got here, we must study the past. This is true for both individuals and society. Imagine what would have happened if the United States had lost the American Revolution? Explore the events that changed your life and your grandchildren will not only treasure the stories, but will better understand the choices you make. As a grandparent, you represent a living link to your grandchild’s history - his connection to all that came before him. Start with what you know best, your own life. What jobs have you held? Did you travel for your work or while in the military service? Were you a door-to-door salesman, or a plumber? What was the funniest thing that ever happened to you while on the job? Were you a trailblazer, taking on a job that, at the time, was unusual for a person of your gender or background? Did the workers at your place of employment ever go on strike? How did that affect you and your family? Tell your grandchild about your courtship and marriage. What do you do for fun? Why do you like it? Whether it is music, or sports, or collecting vintage cars, it may represent a link back to your childhood, or a connection to a special memory. Get out your most beloved keepsakes, your military uniform, your wedding dress, and look at it together. Take your grandchildren to visit historic sites, particularly if you have a personal connection to the events. The history will come alive when told in your voice and from your unique point of view. Help them imagine what life would have been like a hundred, or two hundred years ago. Living history museums, such as Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River, can help you do this. Kelley Farm is a working 1860s farm, where you can churn butter, or help with farm chores. Or spend a day at the history center, where the kids can tour a 24-ton boxcar, then take them on a train trip. The Minnesota Historical Society offers many programs to help grandparents and grandchildren connect. “Minnesota’s Greatest Girls” is film collaboration between girls and seniors about coming of age. Generations Camp is a painting collaboration between seniors and students. In Comics Camp students create historic comics about the community using primary source research and oral history interviews. The pilot project was about 1950s Rice Street in Saint Paul. Creative Keepsakes workshop series teaches methods of creative preservation–quilting, scrapbooking, etc., as a way to pass down heirlooms and family history. The national parks also offer opportunities for you and your grandchild to explore historic topics. Go to the National Park Service web site, type in a topic, and you’ll get a list of all the parks related to that topic. When visiting a national park, check in at the Visitor Center and ask about the Junior Ranger program. It’s a fun way for grandchildren to learn about a particular park and they can earn a junior ranger patch-a special souvenir to bring home. Ann Sarnecki, of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, reminds everyone there are national parks, battlefields, historic sites, recreation areas, rivers and scenic parkways all across the country. If you don’t want to sleep in a tent, many of the larger parks have rustic cabins and restaurant facilities. Trains are a fun and interactive way to travel. The Trails and Rails programs can be found on trains all across the country, from the Adirondack to the Coast Starlight, the City of New Orleans to the Empire Builder. There are so many stories to tell your grandchildren. Start with your own. For more information, contact: The Minnesota History Center Mississippi National River and Recreation Area National Trust for Historic Preservation |
Walking, Talking History