Over There

I was in Kansas City this weekend. I actually went as a tourist which was really different. I went to a few museums including the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the World War I Museum. As those of you who know me with any degree of depth, I may never have chosen of my own volition to visit these stops(being a closet history-hater and a non-baseball fan) , but I must admit that both were worth the trip (and maybe history is a little cool and baseball is little fun). Sometimes life is more interesting when there is someone travelling with you suggesting activities you would never have thought of doing.

At the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum I discovered that there were many other men who played in the Negro Leagues besides Satchel Paige (though he still is pretty amazing, I think he's even more amazing after the museum). The whole league seemed more fun than what is going on now, but of course, I live in a different time. I especailly loved the idea of these teams just playing whoever. That said, segregation is just ugly, and so the present is preferable .

At the Liberty Memorial, I found out that there were many causes that precipitated World War I besides the shooting of an archduke who has most recently lent his name to a band. I was reminded of the historical importance of the Lusitania which honestly I hadn't thought about since my junior year of high school. There was a lot of talk about monarchy, empires and nationalism which seemed to be much more important in the war than the actual Austrian archduke. I guess I am poorly educated, but I learned so much. If you ever decide to go, eat first, and plan on it taking a solid half day if not longer (there did seem to be an indication that a restaurant would be added which would make it a lot more palatable).