We stayed at the Omni Hotel at the CNN center in downtown Atlanta, with a view of Olympic park out our window. It was blissfully quiet in our corner room, so we had few distractions for Owen's nap schedule...and hopefully, we caused few distractions to the other hotel patrons as well...
Our flight here went very smoothly...Owen likes to sleep when he is in the sling, so he napped most of the flight. Tonight, we might have a bit more of a challenge, since we will still be traveling when he is usually already off to sleep for the night. During the days, I have spent at least one long nap in the room with Owen, reading or beading. One cannot do any laundry when one is not at home, hurray! :) On Wednesday, my big afternoon outing was a 3 minute walk across the Olympic Park to the Georgia Aquarium. It was great! I had Owen in the sling, so when it was time for his nap, he just fell asleep on me, and I could continue to look around and see wonderful sites.
They had beluga whales, 
and a most impressive tank of colorful fish from a reef setting.
There was even a "theater" sized tank, where one could sit and observe fish as large as the on-looking people!
I was really impressed, and I am not even usually such a big fan of Aquariums.
At the end of the day, Owen, Chris and I had our first family swimming pool experience at the hotel pool. Owen loved kicking around in the water, and boy did he sleep well after swimming!!
Yesterday, Owen and I took a bus to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historical Site. The church where he preached, Ebenezer Baptist Church, is preserved as a monument.
There is a separate building that has a multi-media history of MLK's life and the civil rights movement, with a beautiful "peace" rose garden out front. Across the street is a large pool, with the tombs of both Martin Luther and Coretta Scott in the middle.
I have always been very moved by hearing the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr.'s, but I was not prepared for the wave of emotion that hit me even before I knew where I was standing. I got a lump in my throat just after walking a few paces from the bus stop, only to look up and see the familiar Ebenezer Baptist Church sign that I know I have seen in photos and documentaries about MLK's life.
When I walked into the sanctuary of the church, there was a recording of one of his sermons being played on a P.A. system, so I sat down with Owen and listened for a bit. The sermon was about how some people are like Cadillacs and some people are like Fords, and it does not matter which you are, as long as you recognize it, and choose to be the best Cadillac or Ford that you can be. Be the best sidewalk-sweeper, or shoe-shiner, and do your work with pride and dignity. I cried like I was really hearing him speak in person! Mostly, I cried because Martin Luther King Jr. had a message that I think people needed to hear (that people still need to hear) and I am amazed that he lived such a short time ago, that his message was heard, and that he was able to influence many. He was a leader worthy of being followed, and I am sad that such a man was murdered when his life's work was about peace through non-violence and love. I cannot explain why, but I have always felt particularly connected to the civil rights movement; perhaps just because I share the belief that all people are equal and I abhore seeing how racial discrimination played-out in this country in the 60's, just a few short decades ago...and is still playing-out today. I am really grateful that I was able to visit this important place while here in Atlanta these few days.
Our flight home to NJ leaves at 6:30 this evening. Fortunately, Owen is getting a really long afternoon nap right now, despite all of the noise in the hallways leading into the studio space where all the set construction is taking place. We look forward to seeing squirrelies when we return home, and having the weekend ahead of us, possibly for some apartment hunting.
1 comment:
Oh my, I think I definitely see Papaw Boone in that laughing face in the car seat.
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