Visit a famous person's birthplace? Count me out.

Last night I was eating out with my family for mother's day when, naturally, Abraham Lincoln's childhood home came up. It did not take me long to come to the realization that visiting famous people's birthplaces is simply not for me. It is something I cannot imagine being very appealing whatsoever. However, many people seek famous people's birth homes out. I think I would rather hit up a botanical garden.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy learning about the childhoods of artists, politicians, etc. It is interesting to discover where they are from and how that influenced them. I just do not ever need to be there physically.  What could that possibly add? "Do you think this floor board creaked like this when John Cougar Mellencamp was learning to walk?" I do not know and do not give a shit.

A few months ago I had many friends and family members sharing with me that Bruce Springsteen's childhood home was for sale. They know I am a huge fan and their hearts were in the right place, but I worry that my response was not what they were expecting. "Oh, cool. I wonder how much it costs. Yeah, that's cool". It was intriguing that it was for sale, but that was all I could muster. I expect they will save the next interesting or fun news item for someone else.

Oh, so this is where my all-time favorite musician was born? Uhhh, does this town have a zoo?

Lastly, although I obviously do not care for visiting birthplaces, I love a good famous person grave. I was perusing a local cemetery and realized Pee Wee Reese is buried near many of my family members. It added a tinge of fun to an otherwise somber experience. And on our honeymoon, we visited a cemetery in Paris where many famous people are buried. Who needs the Eiffel Tower? Look at all these lyrics someone scribbled by Jim Morrison's grave. Just keep me the hell away from his childhood home.