I tried to take in as much as I could in the one month I was performing "Of Mice and Men" at the Great Plains Theatre in Abilene, KS. But as is the case when you're busy there's always more you could have seen but you do the best you can.
A highlight was visiting the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library. Since there's only 12 Presidential libraries in the country it's always a treat to visit one, this was was my 2nd having been to LBJ's in Austin when I was on tour in 2004. What made the Eisenhower Presidential Library so interesting was that his childhood home was there right on it's original sight and contained furniture and other items on display. There was also a Place of Meditation where the President, his wife Mamie and their first born son Doud are laid to rest. An 11-foot stature of the President is located right in the center of the grounds. The library is used for research purposes and houses a letter written by Mary Todd Lincoln to Queen Victoria of England thanking her for sending a condolence letter following Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Going through the museum was like walking in a time capsule from the turn of the 20th century to the mid-1960's. There were so many galleries to walk through and absorb, there was The Introductory Gallery, The Temporary Gallery, The First Lady's Gallery, The Military Gallery, The Presidential Gallery and The Education Center which was sponsored by Reader's Digest. Ladies and Gentlemen let me tell you that you've never seen bling until you've seen the jewelry that Mamie Eisenhower wore in her life. Going through the Civil Rights portion of the museum and reading letters from black and white school children of the 1950's giving their opinions about segregation and desegregation was an eye opening experience for me. The last stage of the museum was listening in to phone conversations that President Eisenhower had with then President Johnson concerning Vietnam. I was glad I took a few hours out of my life to go through the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower, it was a fascinating trip.
As far as the performances for "Of Mice and Men" we worked out fannies off as we performed 21 shows in 12 days. We had some really amazing crowds especially from the students who were bussed in from schools in the surrounding areas. During the Q & A section after the shows they asked some wonderful questions. The more I think about it the students were more well behaved than some of the adults who saw the shows in the evenings. During one evening performance a cell phone went off in the middle of a scene and the audience member started having a conversation while still in her seat. There were also lots of nervous laughter from the adults during the dramatic parts of the show. In a time when young people are criticized (and sometimes justly so) for the way they conduct themselves the young people that saw our show were magnificent. As a matter of fact there was one young person, a 17 year old high school junior named Caitlin Shehi who I'll never forget. Caitlin works part-time at the Abeline Public Library and since I'm a library enthusiast I would see her constantly. She had seen the show with her classmates and it was always nice to talk to her not only about the show but about life in general. She would ask me for advice about colleges or peer pressure or some other topic and I would always give my opinion. She has wonderful morals and scruples and is a role models for teenagers across the country. If I ever have a daughter I want her to be just like Caitlin.
All in all I'm thankful for my time in Kansas. From sitting on the porch of the Kirby House restaurant getting my writing on, to going to Manhattan to hang out in Aggieville, from heading over to Maddy's for a $3.25 beef brisket sandwich with a side, to going to the gym and exercising next to 80-85 year old men and women, it was a great time spent in America's heartland and I'm grateful for the opportunity.
