Communing with the Past

If you saw Friday evening's Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, welcome to FWWMworld blog! If that's the reason you're checking in today, then I'm doing my job pretty well. As Fort Walla Walla Museum's Communication's Manager, it's my duty to get the word out about all that goes on at the Museum.

To be sure, this is a great deal of fun. I'm a writer by trade, so cranking out news releases is something where I get paid to do that which I love. I also get to design the ads we run in several publications, something that took a bit of training in certain softwares, but also allows me to take my photography to new levels. We feel that ads featuring people are far more interesting than those that don't. In a world crammed with messages that require reading skills, fitting the Museum into someone's view-finder is a hard-to-master trick.

My standard of reference is a trip to the grocer's. There are things in the parking lot to grab your attention; signage on the floor; a blizzard of signs hanging from shelves, racks, and bins; signs sticking out from the shelves that impede two-way traffice in the aisles; and signs with flashing lights. A narrow passageway at the check-out is crammed with eye-catching non-essentials and even in-store messaging can be heard to distract you from your errand. That's a lot of competition for your neighborhood not-for-profit corner museum and it's everywhere we go.

Fortunately, you can leave all that behind when you vist the Museum. An hour or two in our pioneer settlement is to be transported back to a more genteel age. Hurrying won't get you there any quicker, the senses aren't constantly assaulted with a commercial blitz, and a chat with a friend makes time almost stand still. This is something you can't get many places anymore and while it comes with a price tag, the price hasn't changed in several years.

Do yourself a favor ... take a break from the rat race and catch up with your roots. Finding out about the legacy the community has inherited from the past is a great bonding experience for you and the kids or grandkids, out-of-town visitors, the next door neighbor ... even your in-laws. It's an experience you'll long treasure.