“Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
Marcus Aurelius (Roman emperor, best known for his meditations on Stoic philosophy, AD 121-180)

I’m not sure why it continues to amaze me that every guest who visits Conner Prairie sees it through the lens of his or her own perspective.

Sometimes differences in understanding reflect prior experiences. People who grew up on farms immediately grasp the difficulty of working the land, tending to animals and making food from scratch. These visitors usually exclaim, “I’m happy I don’t live in the 19th century,” as they switch on the car air conditioning and head for the super market.

In contrast, many visitors say, “I just love Conner Prairie. I wish I could live here,” undoubtedly glad they are away from traffic, malls and cell phones and entranced by the apparent simplicity of life, beauty of the setting and delicious smell of wood smoke.

Other differences in perspective arise from what visitors want others, particularly children, to get out of Conner Prairie. “Conner Prairie demonstrates how hard our ancestors worked. How self-sacrificing and determined they were no matter the obstacles. It’s important for kids to have these models of behavior,” say some who see present day values as lacking.

In contrast, just the other day, a college student told me, “History at Conner Prairie is like a lion in a cage. You can see it and get a sense of the texture of its fur. But it seems tame and gentle. It takes imagination to realize just how uncontrollable, stinky and brutal it really is.”

Although some might find these differences in perception frustrating, I’m fascinated because how each person understands Conner Prairie reveals so much about who they are and what they believe.

What do you see when you visit Conner Prairie?