November 25, 2009
I have fond memories of being a kid and traveling to relatives' homes for the holidays. Any child of the 1970s will recall long road trips spent singing along with the static of The Eagles on the radio, staring out the window, fighting with territorial siblings over the back seat and watching the ornamental seatbelts flap in the wind blowing through windows cracked open to allow the cigarette smoke to escape.
This country was founded on travel and a poor sense of direction.
I asked my children recently about their knowledge of Thanksgiving, its history and meaning. Somerset, 7, was almost positive the Pilgrims came over with Columbus in 1942. Calvin, 11 and my oldest, figured the trip must have taken at least a week and that the children on board spent most of the time throwing up.
"Wait," Somerset said, "the Pilgrims had kids?"
The throwing up, I was then told, was only one activity to pass the time, the other being one of my kids' favorites: rock-paper-scissors ... (read more)
