Henry and me

The only time I ever saw Henry Ford face to face was when I was age 5, April 1947. We had to wait in a long, long line and it still amazes me that mother wanted to do this. The surprise for my brother was that Henry was lying in his coffin dead. He'd been told we were going to see Henry. I can't remember his funny comment.
The place to visit has always been Greenfield Village, Henry's recreation of all kinds of historical buildings and places, most of them the orginals: the Wright Brothers bicycle shop, Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Laboratory...all in a village setting. Carol and the kids once sat grimly and lengthily for an old time photo. Last visit was on September 11, 2002 when the actual Henry Ford Museum was free. It's an amazing place and I wanted to return to make some more little orange plastic Oscar Meyer Weinermobiles. The price had jumped 100%, but I made 6, as well as 2 Rosa Parks Montgomery buses. I bet the bust of Henry Ford one is not nearly as popular, though I should have thought to do one for Danny. We posed in front of the giant Weinermobile though we did not dine in the Weinermobile Cafe. We also posed in Rosa Parks' actual seat on the real bus where she made history. Naughty Skip also posed at the back of the bus, recalling how Aunt Lillian yanked the kids out of the back when they visited New Orleans many years ago. We do not sit there anymore, she declared. JFK's limo is here, Lincoln's chair from Ford's Theater...My favorite exhibit of all may be the theoretical last breath of Ford's pal Edison, lovingly preserved in a test tube. Seriously weird.
It had started to rain and it was time to go home. Our flight sat around for almost an hour as we waited for all the people with late connections, late due to the torrential rains. Goodbye, Michigan. I hope the calls for a 55th reunion come to pass, though not on a cruise. I will want to return to my home state. I am still a Michigander at heart.