A Memorable Day at The Museum

By: Jessica Bahny
NCC Activites Assistant

Well, the holiday season is officially behind us.  We’re into the New Year, and looking ahead to spring!  Technically, life is supposed to “slow down” a little bit for us all after that big holiday rush- not in the activity department!  We’re just as busy as ever!  This post, I really want to share some of the fantastic outings we’ve been doing here at NCC.  With the cooler weather, we’re pretty much restricted to indoor outings.  Sure, we love going to the park, fishing, the zoo and all of that good stuff- but when the air gets cold where can you go?  MUSEUMS!!!! 

I’m always amazed at the treasures we have in our own back yard- like the Henry Ford Museum.  Unfortunately, I think I got a bit “spoiled”.  I was so familiar with the museum that I began to take it for granted.  All of that changed for me when I spent an afternoon there with Ramiro G., one of my clients.  He had never been to the museum before, and I had never taken a first time tourist to the museum!  Seeing the Henry Ford through the eyes of someone who had never been was a truly remarkable experience.  He had a constant look of awe on his face- looking at the larger than life trains, experiencing the story of automobile history, and taking a walk through the evolution of freedom seemed to have an amazing impact on him.  It was a truly amazing experience for me- and a great bonding activity. 

Speaking of history, did you know that January was Holocaust Remembrance month?  In honor of that horrific ordeal, my co-worker Kari and I took two of our clients to the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills.  I had been before, but again, seeing it through the eyes of my clients made it completely different.  We had a wonderful tour guide who educated us about Jewish culture, religion, and the history of Europe at the time of the war.  While much of the tour was filled with sadness, we left with a sense of triumph and empowerment.  Our guide left us with a valuable piece of advice: If you see someone hurting someone else, it’s everyone’s responsibility to stop the violence.  If you stand and do nothing, you are just as guilty as the person doing the harm.  This brought about a great conversation on the van ride home.  We all felt sad that so many people were hurt, and that there were some who were afraid to help.  Over all, it was a very touching and emotional outing- one that doesn’t happen every week!