One of my favorite movies is Jean Shephard's "A Christmas Story". I can't help laughing every time I see it. A favorite part of the movie is Ralphie's persistent hinting of wanting a Red Rider Air Rifle to whoever will listen to his ultimate desire- his mother, his teacher, and even Santa himself. The response from all the above is "You'll shoot your eye out!"
Well, memories of these scenes of Ralphie's air rifle episode flashed before my eyes when I received an email from my history buddy, John Yates, regarding an air rifle used by Lewis and Clark in their great expedition across our beautiful country, an interesting piece of historical trivia.
I wonder if Lewis and Clark's mothers warned them that they would "Shoot their eye out" before their epic journey. Probably not, as it might have drastically changed an important part of our nation's past. Small, simple incidents often play a role in the unfolding of history. It's the Ralphie principle.
Pete S
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