Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
History has never been my thing … my forte … my area of expertise, if you will. I was usually the one in Mr. Boring Pants history class in school, yawning and doodling on my exam. Maybe I am just a forward thinker? A future-focused kind of girl?
But all that’s about to change! Getting my Civic Heritage Badge has made me a believer:
History is actually, sorta, you know, like, fascinating! Not boring … or scary at all. Except for all that battle stuff.
Shocker. I mean, really, who knew? Not me. And not Mr. Boring Pants, either, I’d wager. He almost put himself to sleep once, as he droned on and on about the Cuban Mission Crisis. Cuban Missing Crisis? Cuban Michelin Crisis? I never did hop on the express train to knowledge with that one.
Anyhow.
Confession time: As embarrassing as it is to admit, I have never set foot in my local museum. I know! Grab your pitchforks and heat up the tar, ladies. I am truly sorry, and I will make up for it by going several times per year now. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye, if I lie. (Well, not that part so much.)
When I told the lady at the front desk that it was my first time there, she was kind enough to give me the educational packets she hands out to the elementary kids. A bit humbling, to be sure, but hey, I love a good word scramble and scavenger hunt. I eyed a group of first graders with the gleam of competition in my eye (better than a needle any day). They were going down!
Turns out the history of my little town was actually sort of interesting, especially when there are black and white photographs to go with the dry old plaques. Talk about roughin’ it! Man, those pioneers were some tough old birds. Even the children looked like they could teach me a thing or two about life.
I swear, I found a dead ringer for my Grandma Barbie in one of the photos. I nearly swallowed the pencil I had between my teeth (trying to be libraryish), and did a major double take. Could my ancestors have come over on the Oregon Trail? On the Mayflower? Were they involved in the Cube Shaped Missing Crisis? Hmm. My thoughts were going a mile a minute. I was thinking an interview with Grandma Barbie was next … I could be the genealogist of the family. I could get my own television show.
MBA Jane, Ancestor Hunter
Woman vs. the Past
The TV crew could drop me in the prairie with nothing but my survival skills and a cast-iron skillet …
Wait. I just saw a photo of a primitive outhouse.
Never mind.
Back to reality (and it seems as though that class of first graders is one room ahead of me). Egads! Moving right along.
So, it turns out, I don’t hate history. Epic knowledge. These merit badges surprise me every time. Maybe I don’t not like mayonnaise? Cheap dates? Bad perms? Only time will tell.
Has anyone read Watership Down by Richard Adams?
