Following the Freedom Trail Comment

Comment made on 1/26/2009 on article by Alma Harris in the Juneau Empire.  The comment has since been deleted since the Empire no longer allows comments.

url of the article:
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/122808/nei_371780951.shtml

Hi Mrs. Harris:

This is in response to your article, "Following the Freedom Trail" posted on www.juneauempire.com on December 28, 2008.

I was one of the students that traveled with you, your team teacher, and teachers aid to Boston and Washington D.C. back in the 1990’s.

I don’t remember the freedom trail as boring.  I liked how it went all through the city making it easy to find all the historical landmarks.  I also remember the white interior of the Old North Church and that sections of the pews had doors (and locks?) for the families that used to own them.  I also remember stopping by the Boston Common and seeing the memorial to 54th Massachusetts, the regiment of black soldiers that fought in the Civil War and were portrayed in the 1989 film Glory.  What impressed me was that the memorial was also shown at the end of the film.

You’re right, I did enjoy the Boston Celtics game and getting to see Larry Bird.  I remember him making a basket from half court.  Other memories include visiting Paul Revere’s grave.  Near the grave, a man was reading the inscription out loud.  He showed us his driver’s license revealing that his name was also Paul Revere.  I remember the teacher’s aid getting struck by a bicyclist while crossing the street and that time when we got lost driving us through Washington D.C. and you used a word that wasn’t on any of our vocabulary tests. :)

Your article really takes me back.  Now I want to dig out the journal we had to keep during the trip if I still have it.  It’s probably at my parent’s back in Juneau.  The trip really made history come alive and taught me how democracy works, but it also gave me a sense of the diversity and variety of America.  Prior to that trip, the only big city I had visited was Seattle.  After it I had visited Boston and Washington D.C. where there were the most African Americans I’d ever seen.  I believe we also flew over Los Angeles en route to their airport since our flight schedule was rearranged and I remember the city lights stretching out in all directions.  The experience greatly expanded my outlook and made me want to explore and experience more and I believe partially led to me settle in the L.A. area.  Thank you to you, your team teacher, and teacher’s aide opening our eyes.

I may return to the Boston area for a business trip this coming fall.  It would be my first time back since our trip.  Maybe this trip will back memories.