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What can we not fight about? Anything????

Photo taken here – at the Missouri Historical Society Museum, in the Lindbergh exhibit.

Did almost everything we set out to do – the Cathedral-Basilica, where we had more time to study and explore. Overwhelmed by mosaics, of course. I especially liked, on this go around, the depictions of the American saints in the Historic Bay and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel:

The red color of the ambulatory ceiling and the angels holding instruments of torture recall the suffering of Christ.

I thought…can you even imagine anyone designing a Blessed Sacrament chapel today saying, "Hmmm. let’s make the ceiling red to recall the sufferings of Christ. And let’s border the walls with angels holding instruments of torture. Sounds good."

No? Neither can I. More like: "Let’s make it an open space for people to bring their own gifts to be present with the Presence, and let’s be careful not to make anyone feel excluded so let’s not have any images at all."

I say…good enough for Bernini…

Anyway…we unfortunately didn’t make it to the Hill and ended up grabbing lunch on the run. Funny that when we got out of the car at the Cathedral, it felt almost cool. By lunch, along with everyone else in the country, we were wilting. But we trekked over to Forest Park, where the playground looked inviting but was totally empty, indicating: HOT. So, we went to the Art Museum, where we saw a highlight of one of Degas’ Little Dancer (we’d seen another one somewhere…the Met? Washington? I can’t remember), an old favorite of Katie’s of course, some other Impressionists, but were thwarted in our attempts to see any early European art – the section was empty for the sake of "installation" and if they’d moved the pieces anywhere else, we couldn’t find them. Conspiracy theories about forcing us to see Hindu and Buddhist figures in the absence of Christian themes abounded. Perhaps it was the heat.

Egyptian mummies were observed with a surprising hint of trepidation. Mayan artifacts were enjoyed (they had a sense of humor). Knights and weapons were found and studied with great care. There was an odd contemporary exhibt that looked kinda sorta intriguing, but required way too much work than we were able to give at the moment. Then off to the History Museum, which we quite enjoyed.

The highlight was an exhibit on the 1904 World’s Fair (pulled together for its centenary, naturally enough). Quite marvelous. I’d read The Devil in the White City, which is in part about the Chicago Exposition of 1893, and I’m still struggling mightily to get my head around the idea of constructing something massive and beautiful only to watch it be torn down after a matter of months. It’s very Buddhist of us, you have to admit. Forest Park, the massive park in St. Louis that houses the Art Museum, the Historical Museum and lots of other things, was the site of the World’s Fair, and the Art Museum is the only building from the fair that still stands – it was built to be permanent. Think about the Chicago exhibition, the 1939 NY World’s Fair…ghosts. It’s like building Epcot and the Magic Kingdom for a year.

The exhibit had lots of souvenirs from the fair, items that were exhibited by companies and nations and so on, as well as construction records. (I was interested in a case full of ruby flash souvenir glasses because I have one – not from the World’s Fair, but a ruby flash glass from the early part of the century, from Canada, with "Aline" inscribed, and the year – my mother’s aunt, who died, I think in the 1918 Influenza epidemic, and after who she was named. I could be making the first part up, but I’m fairly sure that’s how she died.) I’d never seen such a slew of them in one place before.

It was illuminating as well to contemplate the massive commercialism on display – a caution not to get too nostalgic for some illusory bygone days of simple agenda-free barter or such.

Then there was the LIndbergh display (above), which was also very good, and upstairs,  a display of life in St. Louis through the centuries. I’m struck by the minimal attention given to religion in such displays (I think I said the same thing at some point last year about the Indiana State Museum. I’m thinking that displays about Mayan civilization wouldn’t completely ignore religious life of its inhabitants. Looking for a day when powers that be aren’t so afraid of offending, and hence, will offend far less often.

Hotel…quick shower…everyone back in the car, drop Mom off at church for Mass, everyone else proceed to Cardinals’ game (they were mostly asleep by the time I returned – Katie said they left at the 5th inning ’cause the Cardinals were losing so badly, plus they could only get standing tickets. Plus it was hot, I’m thinking).

Every time I do a Legatus event, I come away thinking, "Well, that was the best one ever!" Ditto this time. It was! A great group – more people than I’ve ever addressed at one of these. The delightful experience of meeting someone who’d seen me speak down in Florida once (hence inspiring the invitation). Great and interesting dinner companions – well-received talk. Sort of a tonic for the "What am I supposed to be doing now?" doldrums I’ve been in.

Oh…HI PEPPY!