ODE TO THE PURPLE

By Deb Weidenhamer

 I recently heard a story that led me to think about a person’s ability to learn and reasonability to admit when they are wrong.  The President of a world-renowned museum was preparing for a summer exhibition that would put one of the largest dinosaur fossils on display.  This exhibit would be one of the museum’s greatest revenue generators since its inception.  The museum board was excited, the museum employees were excited and the President himself was excited about the prospects that lie ahead for the museum. 

 So when the crates holding the fossils arrived at the museum with a world-renowned paleontologist in tow, the museum President, employees and board met for an “uncrating” party.  The museum also hired their own paleontologist to be present for the unveiling and to assist in the assembly of the dinosaur.  So the big moment came as the crowbar was put to the first crate and the first fossil appeared.  It was purple.  The second fossil was uncovered and it too was purple.  The President said to the paleontologist – this is not a fossil, it is a recast of the fossil.  The paleontologist that had accompanied the crates explained that fossils take on the color of the minerals around the fossil’s location and this make the fossils take on different tones and shades of all kinds.  With that explanation the President continued to insist that it wasn’t real and was indeed a recast. 

 The other paleontologist that had been hired by the museum spoke up and confirmed the statements of the first paleontologist.  With the President still insisting it was a recast, a black light was summoned and with the right illumination it would prove the fossils to indeed be genuine.  The President, who had insisted on his expertise over those who had spent their lives in the pursuit of fossils, didn’t even break stride.  He said to the large crowd gathered together to see the fossils, “We will have to paint it white.  No one will come to see a purple dinosaur.”  I believe Barney and his fans would disagree.

 The point of the story was that in order to save face, the President of the museum defaced the dinosaur and probably cost thousands of dollars to the museum who could have marketed the “purple dinosaur”.  We can certainly hope that the board members present took notice and this President won’t be working at that museum for very long.