there's only you and me and we just disagree

Inside the museum at Gettysburg National Military Park, I make the innocent mistake of answering my fiancé's history question:

"So, Lincoln was a Republican? That seems strange."
"Well the party names of 'Republican' and 'Democrat' are fluid. 'Conservative' and 'Liberal' are more accurate ways of describing a person's political beliefs. At the time, the Republican Party was the more liberal party. But if Lincoln were alive today he'd probably have more in common with the Democrats."
My friend pipes in, "Yeah, now it's more about picking one or two issues, like abortion, and if you feel a certain way about it you're automatically stuck in one party or the other."

Our conversation was brief, and fairly quiet. However, a nearby woman overhears us, gives us an evil glare, and hurriedly shuffles away. In a museum dedicated to the country divided, I was reminded that we are still very much a country at war with itself.

I actually do wonder sometimes what our previous presidents would think if they were alive today. I'm sure they would all have an opinion, but none more so than old Honest Abe. What would he think of how divided this nation has become? Would he even think that the most divisive issues of today-- abortion, gay marriage, tax reform-- are worth fighting over? Would he be discouraged that a mere 150 years after the Civil War, we are once again at each other's throats?

Maybe America's legacy is that of fighting. Devoid of a common enemy, we turn to our neighbors. We fight because it's what we were bred to do from the start.

you're a grand old flag

If you hate American patriotism, do not visit Fort McHenry. Here you will see one of the most patriotic displays I have ever seen outside of the Fourth of July.

Upon entering the visitor's center, you are invited to watch a short film explaining the history of the fort. For those not in the know, Fort McHenry is the site of the events which inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner" during the War of 1812. OK, now that we're all caught up...

The film includes reenactments of the battle, interspersed with informative maps to illustrate the movement of American and British troops. The story reaches it's conclusion, with F.S. Key finding inspiration after a long night of battle. The national anthem begins to swell. Then the screen on which the movie is playing dramatically lifts to reveal a view of the real life Fort McHenry, flag proudly waving in the wind.

Not being at a sporting event and having been expressly instructed to stand, I remain seated. There is movement to my left. Other visitors have stood. Unsure of what to do, I remain seated. Are you supposed to stand every time you hear the national anthem? I can't remember my high school government lessons. Did we even learn that in high school? My Australian fiance also remains seated, but not being American he has a legitimate excuse.* I slyly look to my right. Other visitors have also remained seated, but they are old and also have a legitimate excuse not to stand. The anthem ends, and the screen lowers to set itself for the next viewing.

I feel like a real dick. Clearly I should have stood. My only option now is to let my fiance do all the talking so everyone thinks I'm Australian. But then he starts asking me question which I must answer, so people hear my non-Aussie accent. I secretly hope they think I'm Canadian.

After walking through the small museum inside, we head outdoors and start to walk the park surrounding the fort. As we pass the visitor's center, you can see the window blocked by the movie screen.

"We should just stand right in front of the window with our mouths open," my fiance jokes.
I laugh, "No, we should stand further up on the hill and moon the next group."

I know I should respect my history a little more, but the movie screen is a bit much. And perhaps I feel that way because I was lucky enough to be born in the USA in the first place, and take for granted how easy my life has been because of this. My friend we are staying with told us how her mother, a newly minted American citizen, burst into tears when the movie screen was raised. She's English, but has lived in the US for over two decades now. Her life has been easier than others, but being an American still means something to her. She's genuinely excited to vote for the first time. Her husband is ready to buy a gun just because he can. They are ready to take on all the rights and responsibilities that come with owning this country.

That I can definitely respect.

*He was wearing a Captain America shirt at the time, so some people may have thought he was a dick as well.

fly me to the moon

It's noon on Sunday, and my fiancé and I are having lunch at Kennedy Space Center. We are sitting at a cafe located in a large, warehouse-type building which houses a Saturn V rocket. The place is eerily quite. Even as bus groups arrive, the volume never lifts above a low conversation. After the constant roar of Universal and Disney, it's a little unsettling.

The noise level isn't the only thing that's different. Throughout the day I've noticed that the average KSC visitor is easily over 50. There are a few younger people, mostly foreigners, and families with small children. But I can't help but notice that gray hair and Hawaiian shirts dominate the facility.

As a kid, my family vacations always included something educational. We never visited Disney World, but I did see the St. Louis Arch, Laura Ingalls Wilder's Mansfield home, local state parks, and many state capitals. Museums and art galleries are still some of our favorite places to visit, thanks to my mom's insistence on taking us from a young age.

Part of this was out of necessity-- theme parks are expensive; historical sites are cheap, often free. But even if my parents had had a bigger budget to work with, I know they still would have favored history over pure amusement. Historical sites, campgrounds, museums, etc. are often more fun. They're certainly less crowded, the food is usually better (and reasonably priced), and the quality time spent together is more meaningful when it doesn't take place in the hour long line for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

And aren't historical sites and museums the places children should be visiting anyway? It's one thing to learn about American history in the classroom, but it's much more meaningful seeing it in person. You can be told that the Saturn V rocket (the one that got us to the moon) is longer than a football field, but to actually see it... well, it's really amazing.

But maybe kids don't find that amazing anymore. Landing on the moon is old news. Going into space is just another thing we do. Or rather, another thing we did. With the grounding of the space shuttle fleet, NASA's space program is slipping further into the past. Further from our grasp. Further from our imaginations.

when you wish upon a star

One of mom's favorite stories about her grandmother is from their family trip to DisneyWorld.

It was the first year the park opened, and there wasn't much there. Just DisneyWorld, surrounded by dozens of acres of orange groves. At one point, they rode the monorail out to an a-frame building, which contained renderings for future park development.

"Mmmmm-hmmm. That Walt Disney sure is a big dreamer!" My great-grandmother said in a loud southern drawl.

My great grandmother was very much a child of the Great Depression. The stories told to me by my mother and her siblings depict a frugal, no nonsense sort of woman. She packed picnic baskets with fruit and sandwich fixings on cross country road trips, rather than pay for expensive processed snack foods and restaurant meals. She took home half-squeezed lemon wedges from restaurants to rub on her skin, because they were still good and shouldn't go to waste. Bananas were a cure-all wonder drug, and aspirin was saved for true emergencies.

This is exactly the sort of woman who would look at an orange grove in Florida and think that it would always be just an orange grove in Florida.

As we drove to Disney's Hollywood Studios (we skipped The Magic Kingdom, having visited Disneyland many times already), I couldn't help but wonder what my mom's grandmother would think of Walt Disney's big dreams if she could see the area some forty years on. The parks are still fairly secluded, set back in the trees and visible only once you enter the parking lot. But there are so many more of them now: The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon. There are also hotspots for shopping and nightlife, and endless resorts catering to every type of visitor.

I think my great grandmother would be appalled at the audaciousness and extravagance of it all. How wasteful to spend hundreds of dollars to ride roller coasters and take home cheap toys. What self-respecting adult would dress up in long robes in the hot Florida sun just for Star Wars Weekend. Why is there a giant golf ball in the middle of this park?

But maybe a little part of her would be impressed. One man's dream transformed the wilderness into a tourist mecca. A vision that captured the imagination of her great granddaughter, who made it one of her goals in life to visit that place, ride those rides, and see what exactly was inside that golf ball. (An increasingly dated looking journey through time, currently narrated by Judi Dench.)

In any case, I'm sure she's giving Walt an earful up in heaven. Nobody should have to pay $14 just to park their car.

i've got the magic in me

The first time I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone I was forced into doing it. My sister, then in middle school, was reading the series and couldn't stop talking about them. I, being the sophisticated and mature high schooler I was, dismissed them as kid's books:

"No Sally, they're really cool."

"Whatever, Sister. Magic is for babies."

"Just read them! I promise you'll like them!"

After several weeks of badgering, I agreed to read the first one-- but only the first one!-- just to shut her up. The joke was on me, though. I was instantly hooked, and haven't shut up about the books since.

In college I continued my Potter obsession. I attended midnight book releases, midnight movie releases, and even started a private Potter-themed sorority with my dorm mates. Every situation could be brought back to the books somehow, whether it was shouting "Alohamora!" when unlocking the front door, or wishing each other "Happy Christmas Ron/Happy Christmas Harry" via Facebook.

So naturally, upon hearing that a Harry Potter theme park would be opening at Universal Studios, we literally jumped for joy.

We planned on visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter together, but life got in the way. We've gotten married, bought homes, lost our jobs, started new ones. Still, our love of all things Potter is great enough that when I announced that my fiance was taking me to the park, they were genuinely excited for me. Jealous, but excited.

I am happy to report that the Wizarding World is just as cool as we all imagined. It could be bigger, but then I think the only way Potter fans could truly be satisfied is if Hogwarts were suddenly revealed to be a real life school and we all received our owl post acceptance letters. The rides are fun, the Hogsmeade shops are amazingly detailed, and the perpetual winter landscaping is a nice touch.

My favorite moment was sitting in the cool dark Hog's Head pub, sipping a butter beer. For a moment I could almost believe I wasn't in sunny Florida, but instead in cloudy England. I was having fun with my classmates, putting off our History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures homework until the last moment as usual. Later we would pop into Zonko's for some trick wands, and then head back to the castle just in time for dinner.

It would be the perfect end to a perfect day.