Now Hear This: Unlocking the wonders of dinosaurs
The urge to be adventurous was as overpowering as the first time I drove a car (and that experience altered my personality for years). Would this be as traumatic?
But, I needed somebody to share the escapade with. I had the perfect companion in mind. I would invite my pal, Ryan, and I was certain he would accept my invitation.
“Ryan,” I said with a large smile, and lots of enthusiasm, “How would you like to go dinosaur digging?”
He didn’t even think about it. “Yea,” he shot back, “When we going?”
“In a few days,” I answered.
“Where?” Ryan, questioned.
“We’re gonna go ‘Digging the Dinosaurs’ at Opryland,” I replied.
How did I know Ryan would accept my invitation so readily? Because for much of his life Ryan has studied dinosaurs, and talked about dinosaurs to anyone who would listen. He is a walking, talking dinosaurs atlas. He knew their names, and just as important how to pronounce them. You had to be impressed!
A few days later Ryan and I drove to the Gas Light Theater at Opryland to dig for dinosaurs and see the largest traveling dinosaur exhibit in the nation.
It was spectacular! We were shown a three-minute video of dinosaurs before we entered the display, and it was more than enough to get me and my buddy Ryan charged about seeing these huge creatures.
The first thing we saw as we entered the exhibit area was Tyrannosaurus Rex. Better known as “T. Rex,” that much I already knew. As I was fumbling, very badly, trying to pronounce its name, Ryan burst out with his knowledge.
“That’s Tie-ran-uh-sore-us Rex,” he said, looking at me as one of my college professors might have upon uttering information that he was sure I was hearing for the first time.
“Show-off,” I muttered, and walked to the next display.
That’s the way it is, I thought, with guys who have superior knowledge in certain areas. They just can’t help making the rest of us feel inferior. This was going to be a long, and painful afternoon.
It wasn’t long before we heard a loud “roar.” More like a bear than a lion.
“Yang-choo-on-oh-sore-us”, Ryan said, as we stood looking up at the monster.
“Whatever,” I whispered, as we walked on.
After viewing the life-sized dinosaurs on display for almost an hour we found ourselves in the area where we could finally dig for some dinosaurs bones. I stood back and examined the area, while my pal Ryan jumped into a sand pit with rock-like shapes, and began to dig. He knew precisely how to use the small brushes as he gently pushed away sand and dirt to locate the hidden treasure beneath.
Driving home that afternoon we talked (actually Ryan did most of the talking) about everything we had seen and done. It was a grand experience. I learned a lot from Ryan that day. What I will remember most about our time together was his boundless energy and enthusiasm for things that are no more, but with people like my pal Ryan, the wonderful history and never-ending discovery of our past will continue to live large, and long into our future.
Thanks Ryan Carter Hines for an afternoon I will forever cherish. Did I mention that Ryan is my 4-year-old grandson?
(Hope Hines is a television sports reporter and a Nashville personality.)