So this posting is definitely going to be a bit out of scope of a golf blog, in the sense that it is not really related to golf at all. But since it did take place on my way back home from my inaugural “50 state Quest” trip to Myrtle Beach in 2012, I feel this is an appropriate place to relate this story. And as you start to read, you may wonder why a Canadian may be talking about anything to do with the American Civil War but I hope as you read this, it may inspire you to visit that one place on Earth that every American (and by extension most Canadians) should visit. And no, I’m not talking about Disney World.
Gettysburg. If you’ve never been, get your A&# there!
Saving the boring details of how and why I ended up there, let’s just say it was never really a part of my original itinerary for my trip back home from Myrtle Beach. But, I decided to drive a new route on my way back north and when I realized how close I was going to be to Gettysburg, I altered my plans, got a hotel about a half hour away and then decided I would swing by it first thing in the morning, before driving the remaining 7 1/2 hours back home.
Now let me clarify by stating right up front that I never actually went into the museum at Gettysburg. It was too early in the morning. And I will also state up front that by no means whatsoever would I ever consider myself a history buff. There are certain things about history that pique my interest, but nothing much beyond what was necessary to attain a B in High School history classes.
But I found myself, 7:30 in the morning, standing and simply staring out over the battlefield and recognizing how significant the sacrifices that were made on the land before me had played in American history….nay North American history….hell World history! Granted, you can get all the information that is displayed on the on-sight plaques, including the details of the various stages of the battles, details about the battlefield, the generals, the various troops involved etc. from your history books. No doubt, you can learn as much as you want about the battle of Gettysburg and its significance on our lives without ever going there. That being said, I cannot do justice trying to describe the sensation I felt that cool, early March morning. And I am convinced that should you ever find yourself there, standing, overlooking the battlefield, you may have a similar feeling.
There are numerous dictionary definitions for the word “Surreal” but the common theme seems to define it as “having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic.” As I stood staring at stone walls, recognizing the fact that soldiers inevitably crouched behind them in order to shelter themselves from oncoming bullets and cannonballs, some of them dying on the very spot I was standing, a sensation swept over me and I could actually picture it happening right before me. Yep…surreal. Maybe I can do it justice after all.
I spent about an hour in total, just wandering around reading the plaques on various monuments, simply trying to reacquaint myself with my history lessons from years ago. Some monuments, very simplistic in nature while others, quite grandiose. But there was one monument, one plaque in particular that stood out above all the rest. By coincidence, the biggest one on site, but it was the plaque itself that caught my attention.
We have all heard the beginning of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, quoted in multitudes of movies and TV shows over the years. You know, the one that starts “Four score and seven years ago…” But how many of us have ever taken the time to read the whole speech? Well that was the first time I had ever read it and what impressed me the most about the speech was what relevance it still has in today’s society. It talks specifically about the sacrifices that individuals made for the freedoms of others. That tradition carries on today, not just in the military but in local police forces, fire departments and by extension with anyone and everyone that sacrifices their own well-being for the betterment of others. Yes, Lincoln was talking specifically about the American people at the time he gave that speech, but the underlying theme and the subsequent outcome of the Civil War played a significant role in determining the freedoms that we ALL experience today.
I plan on getting back there in the future. Hopefully the next time I will be able to spend a bit more time taking it all in.
