So my father, who is a history buff, took me to Topeka to see the capitol building today. It's extremely ornate--22 carat gold embellishments, hand-carved oak, imported marble and so on. Impressive, yes! Necessary? That's the question that kept circling in my head as we took the tour. Why is all this opulence necessary for senators and congressmen? Perhaps looking in the mirror-like marble floor helps politicians reflect wisely on public policy? Hard to say.
My children (13 and 18 years old) came along for the ride and my daughter commented on the John Curry paintings of John Brown. She's artistic so she could appreciate the effort that went into creating murals of the size that adorn the walls there. I enjoyed the larger-than-life statues of Amelia Earhart and William Allen White, two of my personal "hometown" heroes.
I've got to remember to play tourist more often. I've lived in this town 18 years and there is so much I still haven't seen. Just this last year I ventured out to 18th and Vine to the Blue Room. It's so easy to get stuck in our day-to-day routine that it often takes the prodding of someone outside of our comfort zone to get us to change.
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