Getting lost in the history that surrounds me - OM [one moment] meet up #47

I have a bucket list of things I want to do here on the East Coast before we move. Last weekend, I was able to cross one item off - spending time in Salem, MA. I had spent a mere two hours in Salem just one week before Halloween in 2009.  That isn't the best time to go as the streets were crowded with witches in pointy hats and attractions that have nothing to do with Salem's history (i.e., Frankenstein's laboratory).  My friend, Ann, and I often talked about visiting during the "off season" and finally arranged to do it.

Salem is known for the witch trials of 1692, but this small coastal town has more to offer.  We visited the House of the Seven Gables, the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne's book.

We strolled the quaint streets, ate wonderful meals, and thoroughly enjoyed some time away from the everyday grind.  A highlight for me, was visiting the Peabody Essex Museum which features maritime art and history; American art; Asian, Oceanic, and African art; Asian export art; and the only complete Qing Dynasty house outside China, Yin Yu Tang (an amazing house tour). 

In less than 36 hours I felt like I had vacationed somewhere far away.  I had been transported to another time.  I could easily imagine life in another era.  I forgot about my own struggles.

Ah, bliss.  And it was less than 2 hours away from my front door. 

If you are stuck in your own head and need a new perspective in life or simply a break, look at the history that surrounds you.  Take a few hours and explore a local museum, town hall, cemetery.  Go with a friend, your kids, or by yourself.  It will give you an unexpected lift.  And, you may even learn something new.

___________________________________________________________

OM is a weekly meet up that promotes living in the moment.  Whether funny, sad, ridiculous, or banal, actively looking for and sharing these moments will promote balance in our lives.

Share in the blog comments here, on your own blog (and link back below)  or on my Facebook fan page. If you are on Twitter,  use hash tag - #omMeetup so we can converse if we'd like. We'd love to hear your moment this week!

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

Photo(s) of the week - our visit to Salem, MA

If I had a bucket list, I could cross this trip to Salem, Ma, off of it. Since moving to RI, I've wanted to go. The Salem witch trials were a childhood fascination of mine and I've always had an inclination toward the macabre. Recently, a clairvoyant friend of mine told me that I was a witch in a past life. This information was casually revealed as I had dinner with him, his wife, and my best friend visiting from Seattle. He said that was why we 3 ladies were drawn to each other and have been close for so many years. When I told C, he said that explained a lot of things.

Anyway, last weekend we made a quick trip up to Salem and visited this quaint town for a few short hours. We didn't have time to really see much. The line to the Salem Witch Museum was a block long. I'll have to go back and spend the weekend, but not at this time of year. I really didn't need to visit Salem in October. This is THE place to be at Halloween in the US. The Travel Channel rated it forth in their "Top 10 Most Creepy Destinations." I'd actually prefer to go back when things weren't so commercialized. But, the town is beautiful this time of year. It is the quintessential old New England seaside town...with a horrible past.

Salem is an interesting mix of nuevo haunted attractions and horrific history. The details about the infamous witch trials are incredibly sad and reflects a very dark time. Yet, this history has developed into a livelihood for the town. Many people have capitalized on its very hallows. How or why "Frankenstein's Laboratory" or "Lizzie Borden" became a part of Salem, I'm not sure. [BTW, Lizzy Borden's home is in Fall River, MA, just 40 minutes from my home. It's now a B & B and another place I'll have to check out...not in October. It is the Travel Channel's number one "Creepy Destination."]

I had forgotten that the witch trials happened in just a few short weeks and came about through the persistence of "mean girls. Unfortunately, similar "things still happen today. We just label them differently.

As we walked through the memorial and the central graveyard, I noticed that even the smallest of children grew very somber. It is a very sad place. Strange to have so much celebratory Halloween activity around it.

Take away the commercialism, if everyone had to visit Salem, I would like to think it would make people think twice about judging others.