MAY 19th Article from THE SIGNATURE

Learning About Legacies

I had a professor once who rolled his eyes each time someone suggested the reason we study history is to “learn from our mistakes”. If this were true, he suggested, wouldn’t we have overcome war and famine by now? The quest to find the “whys” of a particular subject’s importance is a difficult one, and one that is often answered by those who don’t need an answer. Enthusiasts of any subject can rattle off statistics, opinions, and other evidences of the inherent value of their arena. And yet, the continued existence and protection of a given study is often dependent upon the acceptance of its significance among the general population.

The question for me then, as a museum director, is, “Who cares?” Who cares about old stuff, about past memories, and about trinkets of lost generations?  The burden of adequately, efficiently, and appropriately communicating the vast significance of our community’s history is not a light one.  And though I know I have the continuous backing of incredibly devoted individuals who need no explanation for what history does for us as a people, it is perhaps those who do not understand I am obligated to dedicate myself to.

New exhibits, gimmicks, advertising … yes, all of these tools can be incredibly effective methods for making Francisco Fort Museum accessible to the general public. A fellow completely uninterested in general history may want to visit to see a new exhibit on technology … maybe a mother of young children will stop by to take a few old time photos … and a passer-by may take a detour when she sees a sign out on 160. But … then what? If people leave our community’s museum no more aware of their mortality, no more aware of the story they are living, no more attentive to the tales told by a grandmother over Thanksgiving … have I failed?

My heart-filled prayer is this: not that I might find the answers to these questions, but simply that I never stop asking them. Yes, my position is many days about policy and procedure, budgets, board meetings, and exhibit design. Ultimately, though, I am in the business of legacies. Learn alongside with me, dare to ask yourself why anything matters at all, and commit yourself to the support of organizations just like Francisco Fort Museum ... places that push us to ask, “Who cares?”

Interested in diving in deeper? Visit the museum this Saturday, May 21^st, for a FREE Open House to see new exhibits. Then, join us for a celebratory reception at The Parkside, from 6-8pm. The requested donation for admission to the reception is $25. Join us, however, with a donation of any amount. Here’s to the legacies we will make as we join together as a community to rejoice over our shared story! See you there.