KNOWvember: Day Twenty, Grant

Founded in 1633, Windsor Connecticut was the first English settlement in the state. While there you can visit the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut, or its friendly rival for your tourist dollars, the Connecticut Valley Tobacco Museum.  Perhaps you’d like to also stop by the Oliver Ellsworth Homestead, who according to the website thecrazytourist.com was “a monumental figure in the early history of the United States.” I mean he did help draft our country’s Constitution.

​Windsor is also home to Grant. Not General/President Grant, but Grant; father of two young men and the husband to a cousin of a friend of mine. He also enjoys history.

​In my book that makes him important and worth wanting to meet. he’s too humble to place himself in the ranks of monumental figures he loves to read about. ​

Granted, Grant has never sailed a boat before. But in his defense, he was born and raised in the Midwest, hundreds and thousands of miles from any massive body of water. Like many of the people I have met this year, Grant has never shot a crossbow and believe it or not, has “no burning desire” to do so. But he’d be willing, I’m sure, if given the chance. After all, he did volunteer to meet with me for this.
 
When I asked Grant to describe himself in 10 words or less, these are the three words he came up with. “Mostly friendly, introvert.” We both agreed that would be perfect for a t-shirt. I know plenty of people who could wear that shirt. Designing shirts isn’t in Grant’s wheelhouse. “I’m in the business of solving problems.” 
 
But if he had his druthers, he might design furniture. “I like combining wood, metal, stones, and mixing different elements for one-of-a-kind things.” He enjoys furniture that is artistic and yet functional. Not surprising for someone who has a degree in physics. The physicists I’ve met in life or have read about see the artistic beauty of the world differently than most people. That’s what makes them monumental to me. 
 
But Grant is also just a regular guy too. He eats his eggs in the morning. He likes his coffee black and strong. He enjoys running. (Well, I don’t actually recall if he said he enjoys it.) It was nice to just talk with him about the books we’re reading, our approach to science and religion, and parenting kids who seem hell bent on setting the house of fire with their own crazy experiments.  Again, not surprising for a man whose favorite Muppet is “The one with the wild hair. Animal.” 
 
Fun Fact: the mascot at Grant’s High School was a Dragon. Mine was a Crusader. I don’t know who would have won that battle between the two, but if History tells us anything, you can be it would be monumental.