Daughter on cutting edge of history

Across America, towns are celebrating the fact that Lewis and Clark slept here and there and left with a few souvenirs.

There hasn't been this much excitement about explorers since Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

At Cape Girardeau's middle school, they're making cardboard canoes to celebrate the bicentennial of America's most famous explorers.

Becca was working on such a project the other day when she managed to cut her left thumb with an Exacto knife. That necessitated a trip to the hospital emergency room and some blue stitches.

History, as Becca learned, can carry some painful lessons.

But it's always nice to celebrate the past, particularly when you can dress up like 19th century settlers, pioneers, Indians and illegal aliens.

Townsfolk recently had a field day eating duck and other stuff that would have been on the dining menu in the days of Lewis and Clark.

Of course, we tend to romanticize the past. Lewis and Clark probably got tired of cooking everything in bear grease.

But at least those intrepid explorers got plenty of exercise, trekking across the Louisiana Territory and making friends with countless tribes of Indians who couldn't have imagined they would one day own casinos.

Back when Lewis and Clark visited Cape Girardeau, the Mississippi River town was just a sleepy village. It was just a rest stop for them.

Still, where would history be without a few rest stops, chopped down cherry trees, massacres and penny candy? A little beef jerky doesn't hurt either.

You can't make history on an empty stomach.

Thankfully, Becca feels better now. As for Bailey, she's too busy turning our living room into a make-believe hospital to worry about history's aches and pains. She plans to be an emergency room doctor for Halloween. No word yet if she plans to stitch anyone up.

It's great for children to have imagination. But sometimes I want to actually sit on the couch without having to rearrange toys, homework and assorted textbooks.

Becca and Bailey, however, could care less about my desire to sit on the couch and watch some playoff baseball.

The curse of the Cubs didn't interest them. Wrigley Field means nothing to them. They're not into ivy.

Becca prefers Cheetah designs. She's got a bedspread and chair to prove it.

Bailey likes monkeys. Her room sports a monkey sculpture created by her late grandfather.

But there were no rally monkeys in this year's league championship series. Chicago Cubs fans wish there had been in that decisive seventh game at Wrigley Field.

Becca and Bailey aren't Marlin fans either. But then they're not big on fish. The Yankees and the Red Sox don't interest them either.

They're far more excited about Old Navy specials.

They have a history with that clothing chain and they're not about to wait 200 years to appreciate it.

As for our dog, Cassie, she would rather fetch than watch television. She can't resist jumping on me when I'm stretched out on the couch.

Lewis and Clark would have loved a nice couch to relax on during their journey.

They probably would have liked baseball too, especially the Yankees.

As for the Cubs, Lewis and Clark would have been loaded for bear.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.