Norman Knight
For the Daily Journal
I was walking down the sidewalk between Jefferson and Monroe when my longtime buddy, Arthur, walked by. Hadn’t seen him for a while. Very opinionated and sometimes a little hard-headed, but he’s a good guy.
As we were catching up I said, “Hey, Art, Let me tell you about an idea I have for a column for President’s Day.” After I briefly summarized my plan, he paused thoughtfully. Here’s how our conversation went:
“Nix on that idea, Pal,” he said. No one wants to read about U.S. presidents or President’s Day. No one cares. You can fill more space, entertain more readers with celebrity doings than with old guys from the past.”
“But history is interesting and exciting,” I countered. “Especially the history of our country. For U.S. citizens, knowing about our presidents and their times gives us a sense of where we came from and where we are going.”
“I’ll grant you, friend, that those leaders from the past were, for the most part, great and wise men,” he said. “And it’s true, man, that people should be excited to learn about them, but most people would rather get a poke in the eye than study history. Ask anyone. Ask the taylor sewing clothes, ask the landscaper planting a bush or two, ask the housekeeper who uses the Hoover to vacuum the floors or the hotel service worker who will be washing tons of laundry throughout the long day.
“Heck, ask the mechanic at the Ford dealership if he thinks about presidents as he operates his car jack. Son, tell me just how history makes the slightest difference in his life as he is ratcheting up that axle?”
“But knowing history is important,” I said, “especially for a free people. It’s necessary to have a sense of history to be good citizens. Knowing the past helps us understand the present. It pierces my heart that these days students don’t seem to be learning about their country’s past, both the good and the bad parts of it.
“Dude,” he said. “People have been worrying about the poor state of education since Adams and Eve. Kids today need to spend class time learning stuff that will get them a good job. They need to get to work and learn a trade, not sit around thinking about stuff that happened a long time ago.”
“I disagree,” I replied. “Shouldn’t basic fundamental, knowledge of how the world works trump practical skills? Someone once said, ‘Those who refuse to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.’ Isn’t that a wise piece of advice whether you are a person working in a factory or someone sitting in some ivory tower? Besides, haven’t you ever wondered or dreamed about some notable eras and ages in the past?”
He thought for a moment, “Well, I have been watching a series on the 1960s, and all the crazy stuff that went on back then: civil rights, war protests, hippies, the youth movement. I have to admit, the Age of Aquarius must have been fun. And the Jazz Age. Now that would have been a Coolidge to have been alive.” He paused, then said, “Hey, man, it’s been good to see you again, but I gotta run.”
“Where are you off to?” I asked.
He said, “I need to get to the airport. I just started a new job with Johnson and Johnson and I am flying to their corporate headquarters.”
“You know,” I said. “I’m getting ready to head up Harding Street to 465 for a meeting. The airport is not too far from my destination. Hop in my Lincoln, and I’ll drop you off.” He nodded his head and got in.
“Isn’t that company’s corporate headquarters in New Jersey?” I asked. “So, are you flying directly to JFK?”
“No,” he said. “I’ve got a layover in Cleveland.”
