(Editor's Notes by Christina Myer - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the West Virginia State Museum in Charleston, do it. No matter how much you think you know about the state, you’ll be surprised what you learn.

I had the chance to visit a few months ago with friends who were showing a newcomer around, and it was fascinating.

But while you’re at it, visit other states’ museums, too. That is a real eye-opener.

Last weekend, I needed to kill time in Indianapolis, and had a youngster with me who had not done much exploring in his short number of years. (Long story, let’s just say it’s never a dull moment in my world.)

So we went to the Indiana State Museum.

At first there was a lot of “Oh, we have those in West Virginia” (an exhibit featuring native wildlife) and “can we get to the sports, already?” But as we started to look around, there was plenty for both of us to learn.

Indiana has done a fantastic job with its museum, by the way. Much of it is an unflinching look at how Indiana got where it is today. That’s good.

And among the exhibits was one on women’s suffrage. The young man walked right past it.

But I made him stop and look. Then I asked “How long to do you think women have had the right to vote in this country?”

“300 years?”

Nope.

“200 years, then?”

Nope.

Then he read more closely and said “Oh, noooooo …”

Yes. There it is.

He had no idea. And frankly, I’m not sure when or if he would have been taught such a thing.

So we talked. We had lunch and kept talking. It turns out it’s not as difficult to get some of this information across to young people as a few politicians would like us to believe. What will be a challenge is overcoming the idea that “girls are already put above boys.” All this young man’s social-cultural experience has led him to buy in — at such a young age — to the whole “chivalry”/women-on-a-pedestal facade.

Talk about molding young minds. Society has already gotten started on his. The challenge on that front will be on the part of those who understand the damage done by those who poorly employ their version of “traditional” values, rather than on the part of those who don’t yet feel a sense of urgency to evolve.

But we talked some more. Thank goodness for a child’s total lack of reluctance to ask questions and to think. It gives me hope. Then again, we’re all supposed to “become like little children,” right?

And don’t worry, he returned to mastodons and dire wolves, Abraham Lincoln, and trying to beat the time of “Major Taylor: Fastest Cyclist in the World” soon enough. Because he’s a kid. And kids want to learn as much as they can about EVERYTHING. In recounting the events of the day to his family later, he was more interested in talking about why there had been spinach artichoke dip in his grilled cheese sandwich. (Another adventure).

Kids need more information, more perspectives, more adventures. The last thing they need is a limit put on what they can learn; or to be surrounded by adults pretending their own form of mind-molding isn’t happening. For goodness sake we at least owe it to them to be honest about that.

Meanwhile, go, learn, have adventures, be honest when the kids with you ask questions. Explore like little children. You’ll learn as much as they will, I guarantee it.

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com