As I mentioned in my previous post, the other night the phone rang while I was cooking dinner.  I picked up the phone and noticed from the caller ID, that it was Colonial Williamsburg.  Why would Colonial Williamsburg call me?  While juggling cooking tools, I gave a cheery hello!

     He was extremely friendly and chatty and I'm not quite sure if he was teasing me about my cheerfulness or distractedness, or what.  I then explained I was multi-tasking, filling dinner plates with food and trying to focus on what he was saying. He laughed and assured me he wouldn't take much of my time.  He was calling about my membership to the Colonial Wiliamsburg Foundation and asking if I'd renew my support. Of course! I just couldn't process any decisions at the moment and he assured me that paperwork was coming in the mail, for me to make final decisions with. He asked if I was still at the same address and I laughed inside.  I hope so!  We just moved in about 6 weeks ago!  I still wasn't sure if he was teasing me about my cheerfulness or distractedness, but he ended the phone call with a "God bless."  

     For some time I've been wanting to blog about CWF memberships, but I wasn't sure how to approach it. This phone call seems to be the perfect lead in. Having deliberated over becoming a member for years, I finally joined the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation last year. It is common for me to agonize with decision making, unless I have extremely strong feelings about something.  Well, something happened last summer that gave me strong feelings.  

     While planning our vacation to CW last year, I had received  a free copy of the Colonial Williamsburg Journal. With a busy summer, I had forgotten all about it. When we returned from vacation to CW, I was digging through my magazines and surprise! There it was!  I flipped through it and it was more fascinating now that I recognized some of the people in it.  My kids liked looking for their favorite actor. Watching them look for him reminded me of "Where's Waldo?"  I could subscribe to the journal, and at the same time support the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. It would cost $35. Apparently, I can also receive discounts on CW lodging. I've not tried this yet. Furthermore, I got a free gift. This cuddly stuffed animal represents Mary, a CW colt that was born a few years ago. 

      I also got a free Christmas ornament, a gold plated scroll work styled after the Palace Garden gate.  When the journals arrive in the mail, I've caught my kids scanning the pages, looking for their favorite actor.  I've also caught my husband actually looking through it and enjoying some of the articles with our son.  That is huge because my husband is neither a history buff, nor a bookworm. He is more of a hands-on guy. I've even used some of the articles for school lessons, because they have perfectly dovetailed with various topics. 

     Something I debated about for the last several years, was whether to donate $35 or $100.  Colonial Williamsburg Foundation offers us benefits for being members.  With at least a $100 membership, one can enter the St. George Tucker House. Apparently they have light refreshments and they even have special programs...perhaps Thomas Jefferson or the Marquis de Lafayette, baroque guitar, spinning, quilting, a garden tour, even art programs. I didn't know if we'd have time to use this with so much other stuff to do on our vacation last year, so I did not get the membership. But now we live in Virginia and we are averaging 2 trips to CW a month. I think this would be fun!

      I must admit, if it weren't for something we found out at Colonial Williamsburg last summer, I might still be on the fence about becoming a member. It can take me a long time to make a decision, while I think deeply about all the factors.  While we were at Revolutionary City, my husband chatted with one of the directors.  When he told me about the conversation, I was disheartened. To put it bluntly, Colonial Williamsburg, like all of us, have been hit hard by the economy.  Tourist numbers are down. All revenue is down.  I determined right then and there to do what I could to help preserve this incredible place that brings history to life, that teaches us how to look at the past so that we can make wise decisions for the future.  History is cyclical.  We don't have to sit around and be affected by our government.  In days of yore, people had no choice but to be subservient to the government.  The Founding Fathers put together our representative replublic, so that we can have an impact on our government. To paraphrase what Benjamin Franklin said, Can we keep it? It is our right and duty to have our government answer to us. Colonial Williamsburg helps the guests to see how they can do this, by giving examples of 18th century events that mirror current events.

     That is why I decided to join the CWF. My membership amount is not huge. It is what I can budget.  In addition, I try to help a little more here and there as I can. I am going to buy Christmas gifts anyway. I make purchases at CW. I am going to buy plants anyway.  I buy a few at the CW colonial nursery.  

     Even though I've tried to do these little things, I hoped I could do something bigger.  Hmmm, I have a blog. With the investment of a little time, perhaps posting about Colonial Williamsburg would help others see what a wonderful place it is to visit.  Simply because I love Colonial Williamsburg, I probably would have gone crazy posting about them anyway after last year's vacation.  Now I had a stronger purpose behind the posting. Amazingly, I've had several e-mails and comments from people telling me they've used my CW posts to help them plan their vacation to CW. Sometimes I get e-mails asking for more information. I know of two people off the top of my head who have purchased the CW Electronic Field Trips because of my blog.  Those are only the people I know about. I am always surprised when I get e-mails from various individuals, who finally decide to speak up and comment about something.  My family loves to hear stories of who have stopped by my blog. Who knows who is quietly reading behind the scenes?

    Like everyone else hit hard by the economy, Colonial Williamsburg has had to make extremely difficult decisions.  I was reading in the newsroom on their website recently, that they have had to tighten things on the employee side in order to stay within the budget.  Yet they want to continue to provide quality programs for the guests. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has high standards, knowing full well that they hold history, yesterday's and today's, in the balance of a fluctuating economy.  Pursuing excellence through programs, services and products, they have provided not only bountiful entertainment and memories for my family, but also they are teaching us applicable lessons from yesterday for the present.  Last night at dinner, my son started talking about some economic issues from his history reading in school.  My husband replied with some comments about the present economy. My daughter jumped into the conversation by saying, "Patrick Henry says that history repeats itself." She went on to make a connection between my son's topic and my husband's topic.

     Preserving our country's heritage through the restoration of the colonial capital, Colonial Williamsburg has given us a valuable treasure. At one time we thought a visit to the historic area and trades was merely a fascinating peak into the past.  Now that CW has allowed that treasure to spill out through Revolutionary City, we learn how to apply the lessons learned in the pivotal points of history today.  I do not want to ever lose this national treasure.