Gettysburg, PA
The Civil War was more than just battles. From what I understand, it was the first time our country had been tested in regards to rights of a state. Lincoln came in and said slaves are free. The Union told Lincoln that they were not free and that they wanted to succeed from the Union. It was on from there. This was a battle about rights of slaves, but also about rights of states. What would have happened if the Union lost? Would our country be the same way it is now? Would it be better as some of my friends down south seem to believe? I don’t know.
Arden told me about the North and the South at that time. I hadn’t thought about since school. The north had undergone the industrial revolution. The north had things: money, prosperity, and fatness. The south was still a farming region. They were hunters, shooters, and not as educated. Who fought with more passion? Who fought to win their right to choose versus their right to keep the things they had? I’m sure they all fought with passion, but deep down, I would say the Confederate army was more skilled with the rifle and had more passion about why they were fighting. For whatever this opinion is worth, I give it.
Finally, at a lot of the stops today I saw kids. They were taking pictures and listening to tours. I stopped and wondered why things are they way they are. Here are these ten year old kids. They listen for a second, and then they take a picture, and then they push each other, and then they stare into the sky, into their own world. Kids have the time to learn. Their brain is not ready to learn all that there is. They will remember they went to Gettysburg when they were young, as I did too, but they will not remember Gettysburg as they will when they are 29, like I now do.
I, on the other hand, am 29 and have the brain to learn. But, I do not have the time. I had to quit my job and enter this journey to allow myself the time to learn. That sucks and I am not sure what can be done about it.
OK, now to the what I did stuff. After the battlefield, we came back to the house, I had a Dagwood, I sent emails and made phone calls. I spoke with the PR person from O.A.R. Still no word. Perception is the key. I spoke with a co author for a Chicken Soup book, a nice guy who is trying to help me out. We then got in the car and drove the 75 minutes to where Arden and Pat raised their 3 kids in Columbia, MD. Their 3 kids are my 3rd cousins? Arden is my dad’s cousin and his kids would then be my what? Mike, Mark and Jordie are the boys. We went to Mike’s house after dinner. I met Mark and his wife. Mike, his wife, and two girls, 11 and 9 (what would they be to me?) were also introduced. My family keeps on getting bigger. We hung out on their patio and had a few beers. We talked about a lot of things. I listened as the family told stories. We then left at about 9:15 to make it back to Gettysburg and here I am, in my basement room/office. Bed is a callin’ and I’m a answerin’.