Do you recall how you felt when Apollo 11 landed on the moon—or
when President Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and demanded, “Mr.
Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
These events are more than just history to you—they are part
of your life experience. And you can call upon this lesson. For example, when
you’re about to take on a major challenge, recall Neil Armstrong’s
words: “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”
Imagine the challenges your children will face, and ask: What lessons
of history will prepare them for their future? How can you teach those lessons?
I was appalled at how some teachers presented American history to
my children. My son and daughter learned that Thomas Jefferson had slaves before
they learned that he wrote the document articulating our rights and duties as
free people. They learned that European settlers killed Native Americans—an
allegation that upstaged the stories of courage, perseverance, and faith. My children
knew that 100,000 people died when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan, but they
didn’t understand the moral context and the scale of World War II.
With a curriculum designed to instill guilt and shame, I wonder,
how our kids will ever discover the lessons of history that inspire greatness
and noble aspirations? Will they ever believe that they can make a difference?
Will they have any heroes left at all? Then, I wondered: What would the heroes
of America’s past say to the children of today?
These questions serve as the impetus for my business, Magic Picture
Frame Studio. I intend to transform the way children learn history—and the
lessons from it. Our first release is a book, Anthony and the Magic Picture
Frame, in which a boy time-travels into the great events of the 20th century—in
the cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis with Charles Lindbergh, on the
moon with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, in the labs of Thomas Edison and Jonas
Salk, and on Normandy beach on D-Day.
The heroes of the past have something important to tell us: The purpose
of life is to live a life of purpose. One person can make a difference. Doing
the right thing always matters.
I began to wonder how we could model our lives after these heroes.
What enabled them to put their beliefs into action? What made them great?
Five Life Lessons
Here are the main insights, phrased as five resolutions:
- Explore—find out what life has to offer. Michael Collins, Apollo 11
astronaut, said: “Go places and do things that haven’t been done before.”
- Follow your plan—one step at a time. Charles Lindbergh, pilot of the Spirit of St. Louis, said: “The important thing is to start; to
lay a plan, and then follow it step by step.”
- See opportunity—and take advantage of it. Thomas Edison, inventor, said: “Opportunity is missed by most people, because it is dressed in overalls
and looks like work.”
- Work hard and create your own good luck. Lou Gehrig, baseball player, said: “My success came from one word—hustle.”
- Live—and give—with passion. Dr. Jonas Salk said: “Do what makes your heart leap.”
Take time to reflect on the past and remember our history and heroes.
Help children to hear the voices of great men and women of the past calling them
to greatness. PE
