Entrepreneurs or Entertainers?

An aside. Over the weekend I had the wonderful experience of taking my family to Washington, D.C. Among the highlights were a tour of the Capitol Building, the Air & Space Museum, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials and a rare sighting of POTUS on the Hill - and it wasn't at the time of a state of the union address. The current state of recession should now be known by anyone reading this blog. It appears Mr. Bush must have cavorting with senior legislators Monday on Capitol Hill for insight and support of the post Bear Sterns debacle and what may come next.

For my kids, it was a rare and neat personal connection with our government - Mr. Bush even waved at us as he sped by in his entourage. For me, the event was a reminder that (despite what the media portrays) our government officials do work well together as a team to lead our country in times of distress - economic, military or otherwise.

Back on Point. So I was viewing the dislocated exhibit from the Amercian Museum of History (which is under construction) in the Air and Space Museum with my children. And what should stick out? The exhibit included various artifacts of American history - among them were the light bulb and telegraph from Thomas Edison and Alexander Grahm Bell , respectively.

While these items were notable (to me), they were nestled in a series of extensive artifacts focused on politics and entertainment. Other items included Abraham Lincoln's top hat, hat and boots from Garth Brooks, a Babe Ruth Baseball, Boston Red Sox batters helmet, Dorthy' shoes from the wizard of Oz (and the Scarecrows costume) and so much more! All these items were interesting but I left wondering?

Inspire More Entrepreneurs.How do we inspire the next generation of Amercians to be creative outside the field of entertainment? Where do our kids learn about the impact and visions of individuals such as Witfield Diffie & Martin Helman in the field of ecommerce, Sam Walton in retailing and distribution or Truett Cathey in building a value based organization?

Is ther any museum or organization that recognizes the outstanding efforts of entrepreneurs in a single location? An historical presentation of entrepreneurs and innovators throughout history with their related stories would be quite inspiring and educational.

Such a presentation might generate some alternative career goals - entrepreneur in lieu of entertainer!