So, even though it was rainy and cold, I went to Old Sturbridge Village today. And I did not take the above picture today, but in spring about two years ago at Old Sturbridge Village. Just thought I would clarify that.
I was at Sturbridge Village to do some shopping for the museum I work for now. So technically it was a business trip. But the nice people at the admissions booth allowed me to come in for free because I was also a fellow historical interpreter, and they realized how little one gets paid for that. But it was also because of the love of the work that we do that also sparked this comradeship. At least I hope it is.
Now I've been to the Old Sturbridge Village many times before this. In fact, on a famous day in July (called the 4th) in the year 1976, a very important event happened at Old Sturbridge Village. Though everyone will think it was that famous Kennedy visit, they may be right. But that's because they might not have known that an even more important group of people was also at Old Sturbridge Village that day. (Wow, no wonder they use OSV everywhere. So much easier.) Yes, that's right, that very important couple that was there that day happened to be my parents, newly married just two days before and visiting during their honeymoon. Now little did they know that this seemingly innocuous act would change the course of the life of their then unborn daughter. Because in that day a tradition was born, one that was kept every single anniversary while I lived under their roof, and even a few after that. The annual visit to Old Sturbridge Village. (Ok, from now on I'll use OSV).
Yes, I visited OSV every summer for as long as I could remember. And I loved it every year. Often times, as historical interpreters, people figure out the turning point that showed the world that we were destined to an impoverished state while dressing up as people from another time period and speaking in long, historical terms, or in funny accents. And for me going to OSV every year was that point. The point when I realized that I wanted to live in the past, for real. This began the addiction to pretending to be on the Oregon Trail. The hours spent reading and rereading Little House on the Prairie and every American Girl book available at that time. Many days running around in a long green skirt and apron, surviving off acorns and a stew made from leaves and mud in the dog's water bowl. My mom always loved that one.
And, for one day every year, I got to run around a village that was fully immersed in the 1830's New England and totally feel like I had finally an opportunity to live in the past. I got to walk through historic homes, smell woodsmoke, see farm animals, and run around on dirt roads pretending I was actually living there. I have a very vivid memory of when I went to OSV in third grade. I remember they had a pretend classroom set up and we were all pretending to have a day at school in 1830 and it made me so excited. I was fully immersed in the past. It was heaven for me.
But, at some point we all have to grow up. We all have to move on, realize that we can't live in the past, really far back in the past. Or so I thought.
So I went to college, met my husband, graduated from college, married my husband, worked at several jobs. Completely normal for an adult in her mid-twenties. But it was during my internship at the New Bedford Whaling Museum that I stumbled upon the Plimoth Plantation website. And, just for giggles, I thought I would check and see if they had any offerings. How cool would that be. To work outside while still working in a museum. Yeah, that was my thought process at that time. I had been doing alot of museum research and document recording and the one thing I realized was I hated having to sit at a desk all day, inside, with stale air and bad lighting. So the concept of doing work outside, yet still following my interest in museum work and research into preservation and material documentation. So, I thought, why not try it out.
Needless to say, this was the beginning of a childhood dream, come back to me in my adult life. I not only got to work outside, and do research, I got to pretend to live in the year 1627! Fully immersed in not only the year 1627, but also with a very select group of people, the Pilgrims. And so, everything came full circle. I got to run around in a green petticoat (for at least one season, till it was replaced with my blue one) and make really tasty "pottages" in real cast iron pots (rather than a dog's water dish) and got paid for it! Everything had come full circle, in a way I never had thought of.
And now, having spent six years at the Plantation, I've now moved on to another museum and another time period, Coggeshall Farm Museum and the 1790s. Not only do I get access now to chocolate, coffee, and rum, I also get to expand my interpretation work in embracing another time period in history. And I can still work outside! Though to be honest working in these time periods has made me realize hot showers, air conditioning, and comfortable cotton clothing are definitely good reasons to not to truly live all the time in the past.
And that doesn't mean I'll stop there. It seems my desire to live in historical time periods has rubbed off to my husband as well. As we've started to visit recreations of Civil War battles, I'm beginning to see our family's future weekends, Mark going off the pretend to shoot at other people while I mind the kids dressed up in prairie dresses and civil war hats and cooking over a wood fire. So there's another time period to add to my "I'm going to pretend to live in you but be really thankful for hot running water and toilets" work days and weekends.
But I can truly say that this all started when a newly married couple decided to go to Old Sturbridge Village on their honeymoon and decided to make it a yearly tradition. A tradition that still made me excited even going around that village today.
It's funny how it all comes full circle.
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