TEXT:
Dear Honey, Greg and Lauren,
We got here OK on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. As you can see the hotel is beautiful too. There are many shops and places to look and visit, much like Fisherman’s Wharf. Charles and I will try to do some work. I miss all of you already. Take care. I love you.
Dad
ME:
This was one of those postcards that haunted me as a child. I remember thinking to myself “Why is no one there? Was everyone asleep? And if so, why were all the lights still on? Looking at it now it reminds me of a cross between The Shining and 2001. Perhaps too much of a Kubrick vibe going on?
Although I had no concept of where New Orleans or the French Quarter was, I always used to dream of my dad going on these fantastic voyages. Little did I know he was living it up talking about Sunday School Curriculum. It seems to me, reading this again, that this postcard had one mission: to connect with my mom and tell her he wasn’t having too much fun. My sister was still a baby after all.
DAD:
When I was an editor of youth Sunday school curriculum with the American Baptists, I attended a yearly meeting called the Committee on the Uniform Series. As a part of the National Council of Churches of Christ, over 50 editors from many denominations came together to select biblical texts, teaching themes and age-appropriate emphases that would be used by writers of lessons. These meetings were always a lot of work as well as a lot of fun. At the end of every meeting, we would all have a chance to vote on where the next year’s meeting will be.
As you can see, we would pick fun places like the French Quarter in New Orleans. After a long day of work, we would hear a jazz combo and chat about the affairs of denominational life. I had my first soft-shell crab in New Orleans! This ornate hotel, the Monteleone was in the heart of the French Quarter and “Charles” was my colleague, Dr. Charles Oehrig, the adult curriculum editor who was my roommate and mentor at these meetings. I remember Charles always enjoyed a night cap. I miss his sharp mind in interpreting the meaning of scripture and his sparkling eyes when he had a new idea.
This postcard gives me an opportunity to explain to Greg some of the work I did for 20 years when at the time, he would have had no idea or interests in knowing. Now that Greg has his own kids in school, he knows how important relevant curriculum prepares one for living a good life.
According to the date on this postcard, our daughter Lauren was 4 months old. I can still remember how terribly guilty I felt leaving my wife Joy at home with two kids and visiting a fun place like the French Quarter. This was one of those free postcards you find in the desk drawer of your hotel room.
Posted on November 20th, 2008 by Gregory and Dad
Filed under: Louisiana, New Orleans | No Comments »