February

This month I've had more of a chance than I've ever taken for myself to think about Black History Month.

A friend shared this article with me:

http://www.cleveland.com/morris/index.ssf/2009/02/black_history_month_is_outlivi.html

I encourage you to read it and to really consider it.

If by chance you do not take the time to read it, it essentially asks the question of whether or not a Black history month is still needed.

My first reaction was no. Of course not. As long as we still separate ourselves by class or race or sex or religion in any way we cannot achieve equality. When are we just Americans? When will Obama not be my black president but my president? When is Woman's history month? When is Native American history month? When is Mormon history month? When does black history become American history?

The author of the article asks that with the election and inauguration of our first black president are we mature enough to accept our histories as one? When does this "pointless exercise of racial chest-bumping" become obsolete?

At first I agreed with him.

Then I was offered an alternate point of view.

Is black (or lets say any minority) history given as much time in an American classroom as white american (majority) history? As a history teacher I guiltily have been a witness to (even the reason) that no its not. Are black inventors and writers, activists and athletes revered and taught about as frequently? No they are not.

Until they are, maybe we still need a black history month.

I think though as we've been witnessing in our own time important and lasting milestones in black history that black history, more than ever is American history. As years pass and today is written in history books there will be less and less distinguishment over who's history is being taught and we will accept and understand that whether we are discussing the achievements of blacks, women, jews, gays it is OUR history.

Someday, I hope every month will be black history month...cuz my mom says "Once you go black you never go back" :)

Hunter

Yesterday my mom called me:

“Are you sitting down?”

“Yes,” panic rising, “What's wrong?”

“The Pathfinder is dead.”

(Sound of my heart breaking)

What a ride right? I'm not even there to say goodbye. I figured the best way to honor it was to write down some of my favorite memories about it...

My mom bought it for me for graduation while my dad was out of town. It wasn't the first time she had purchased a vehicle without him. I had gone and looked at the car and driven it around. I loved it but didn't speak up about it because I couldn't afford it and it was my parents' decision. Make that my parent's decision. I don't remember what the objection my dad had to buying the car but apparently their was an objection. One day I came home from lunch and it was parked in front of the house. When I got home from school it was gone. I thought that maybe my mom was taking it to have it inspected to see if it was worth buying...I played dumb. Two days later it reappeared. And it was mine. She bought it for me. I remember coming home as a family from something. My dad had gotten home from wherever he had been and it was in the driveway. This was the moment she chose to tell him she had bought it. This is the first and only time I have ever seen my stepfather angry. His face turned red and he didn't say a word. Just looked disbelieving at my mother. For a second I worried for their marriage. Naturally I felt real guilty at accepting this gift.

My mom bought it to get me through college. It did that almost to the day and more. It was important to her that I had 4x4 to get through Sardine canyon. It got the job done.

Places its been: Logan (countless times), Bear Lake (countless times), Flaming Gorge twice, Southern California, Mexico, Las Vegas, and its final and most character testing trip all through California this summer.

I remember sitting in the parking lot of Little Caesar's in Logan with some of the FDRs after letting Jill, Steph and Jenni give it a little test drive. We put the seats down in the back and ate a pizza pretending like we were comfortable and cool.

One winter Sarah, Mary, Carly and I were going sledding. We brought the dog a long and he managed to roll his head up in the back seat window.

I gave both of my brothers lessons on driving a manual car in that Pathfinder.

Long drives on my own with great music.

The Reeders, LD and the rift valley.

Ski trips to Beaver Mountain last spring.

Long, dark, winding drives on Highway 9 with the Santa Crew, Haley and Will. (and Alex D. shouting Fat Bottomed Girls).

Some dude in San Jose in a giant nice truck offering to buy it from me because it was so nice when I rolled into CA.

Leaving it unlocked at Disneyland.

Leaving it unlocked EVERYWHERE. And never having anyone take anything out of it until this October when someone looted it in front of my house.

Haley, Will and I baking through the California dessert. And then Haley and I continuing on through the Mojave and Southern Utah with no AC. We are all champions.

And continuing to drive it for a couple weeks after I got my new Subaru.

So after nineteen years and 186,000 miles you deserve a rest. What a good car. I miss it.