Celebrating Something Positive - The Mt Pleasant Discovery Museum

When we moved to Mt Pleasant just before the new year of 2007 I had a far-fetched dream of creating a children's museum. We had opportunities to be exposed to a few museums, including the crown jewel in Indianapolis.  I remember researching it during those early days here and realizing there was far too much involved for my comfort zone in trying to do it alone.  I knew relatively few people at that point.  So I put it on the back burner.  I figured I'd get to know my community and then see if opportunities presented themselves.  It was a dream come true when I learned of a few people who were working on that exact dream back at the end of 2008.  Early 2009 I began to be involved. Nick got involved as well.  We each played some different roles.  In February I was asked if I'd be on the board.  I reluctantly said yes figuring it wouldn't be any more of a commitment than I had already made. I was in the middle of helping work on several documents in preparation for a community meeting, where the idea would be announced and feedback from the community could begin.  

For 2 1/2 years I gained a BIG education in working on a grass roots start-up effort, having board responsibilities that grew and changed constantly with need, getting to know our community better, stretching the mind to bridge this focus for kids/families with all the minutia that has to take place to get there, learning to deal with communication and priority differences and not lose sight of the end result, and stretching myself to limits I had no idea I was capable of.  I began to eat, sleep and drink museum.  As much as I wanted to be a part of the effort from that beginning stage to completion I knew that a time would come when I'd have to let go and move on.  In May 2011 that time presented itself very clearly to me and I disconnected myself completely from the effort.  I needed to become an observer from the sidelines.  I could not give the time that I had been giving without further compromising my health and relationship with my family.  It was a very hard decision but one I have never regretted.  It didn't mean I didn't care about the effort.  Unfortunately I cared far too much and would obsess about things from the sidelines but tried to stay silent as it was no longer my role.  

Daniel became the first Youth Advisory Board (YAB) member with a small meeting late summer 2009 that included him, me and two other board members: Jennifer Fields and Andy Marks.  When I separated myself from museum involvement, Dan choose to continue participating.  I was proud of him for doing so as I knew it meant a lot to him.  Nick offered to take him to meetings.  I knew that if I did I'd want to continue with various responsibilities or take more on.  But it was no longer my time.  Nick gets plenty of praise for his support of Dan in the continued meetings and events for the next year and a half.  It was such a big deal for Dan to get to be part of the news coverage this morning.  He is pretty happy he could be involved and feel he had a link on a very personal level.  He has learned lifelong lessons in responsibility of volunteering and being involved in his community.

Today I got to see the museum in full working operation with so many smiling faces.  I don't know if there were unhappy faces.  I didn't notice any.  I heard our boys still express interest in spending more time there when they had already spent 9 hours prior to the grand opening.  This included a soft opening a few weeks ago, the ribbon cutting yesterday and a very early morning there with 9&10 live news coverage. 

I didn't know how I'd feel today as things switch to operation phase.  Would I feel sad that I hadn’t been involved for the past year and a half? The answer is no.  I feel perfectly satisfied with the effort I was able to give.  Hard things happened along the way, and I can't change that.  But I choose to dwell on the fact that there are happy kids engaging themselves in play and learning.  I choose to celebrate the many wonderful friendships I have made over the years with people I would have never met otherwise.  I feel completely satisfied that I gave everything I had to give when I could give it.  I hope that in some small way that made a difference. 

When I was still young I remember filling out a resume.  My father suggested I write  "I like to make a difference".  I have thought of that often as I wasn't sure why I should write that.  Did I really want to make a difference? I soon learned that I really do like to make a difference.  No matter how small or big the role it feels good to be anxiously engaged in a good cause to make a difference in this world, even in a small corner.  I believe I have gained greater appreciation of many people coming together in common cause, to make a difference.  It feels good to know that at the end of the day the effort can produce something positive. For this I celebrate the Mt Pleasant Discovery Museum.