Click on the photo to enlarge it. It is spectacular.
It is tough being a child in the boondocks and in little towns that have names that end in burg and ville. Now and back then the larger world is visible via movies and television so that kids down on the farm no longer have to see Paree to know what they are missing.
My best friend was a boy named James Gunter. He won the Spelling Bee at our school and went on to win in the state contests and was picked to go to Washington D.C. to compete in the National Spellig Bee at the Mayflower Hotel. He and his father stayed up all night as he memorized the dictionary.
James finished 23rd in the whole country that year. Quite an accomplishment for a 13 year old boy from a little town in East Texas.
When he came back to school the teacher had him stand up in front of the class and tell us about his trip.
He told us the word he missed was caterwaul. Or maybe that was the word before the winning word.
In 1953 the winning word was soubrette.
Here is a list of champions and the words they won with.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scripps_National_Spelling_Bee_champions
Then he told us what he and the others kids got to do in Washington D.C.
The part that caught my attention was when he described going to the Smithsonian Institution.
As I listened I got and more envious and jealous and green with envy as they say.
I think I determined that moment that when I grew up I was going to Washington D.C. not only to go to the Smithsonian but to live in the D.C.area permanently. As so I have for over 45 years now.
And it is nice to have the Smithsonian right down on the Mall anytime I want to visit. And also The National Gallery Of Art and all the rest of the museums as well. And here is the best part. They are all FREE.
http://www.si.edu/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smithsonian_Institution
Here is something from today and the arrival of the Space Shuttle Discovery.
http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/discovery/
