reading history, making history
It's thundery outside and I have no choice but to remain couped up indoors. Days like today make me want to write. Okay, it's not just the weather. It's also my way of side-stepping the research I should be doing on the English Civil War of the seventeenth century. I know, you can't understand my procrastination when the topic at hand is just so enthralling.
I have to admit, despite how my current avoidance of the aforesaid reading may reflect on my sentiments, I have actually found my study of the English Renaissance quite intriguing. While analysing the innovation, as well as the turmoil, of times gone by I do wonder what the history books (or websites) will say about our time, my time. As far as innovation is concerned, the Internet will almost certainly feature as the advancement that changed the world as we once knew it. I suspect mobile phones will follow closely behind. Personally, I threaten to toss mine into the Thames too often to pledge my support of this development in telecommunications. Do people really have to be able to contact me ALL the time?
There is likely to be mention of the numerous wars that continue to be fought around the globe and the effects of 'terrorism' on those who say they strive for peace. Most confrontingly, I wonder what approach historians will take when relaying such atrocities as human trafficking and global poverty. Will they speak of the many who fought to counter these devastating problems or will their digging reveal a past society who preferred to turn a blind eye? Will you be mentioned as one who made a difference...will I? The problem with the 'here and now' is a lack of perspective. Historians have the advantage of hindsight, the ability to see a fuller picture than the one we are caught up in on a daily basis.
Yet, perhaps there is a way. We live in a world that is better connected than ever before. I do wonder if checking Facebook as regularly as I do actually makes my world quite small. And is what the news feeds me on a daily basis a true picture of reality? The big picture is far more vast than I could imagine but I can try to understand. Books, websites, journals....I have past, present and future at my fingertips. While the historians can tell a story, I'm the one who makes it happen today. What will our legacy be - yours and mine? We choose what the historians write. And maybe one day, some student will be inspired by what we did instead of writing about what could have been.
I have to admit, despite how my current avoidance of the aforesaid reading may reflect on my sentiments, I have actually found my study of the English Renaissance quite intriguing. While analysing the innovation, as well as the turmoil, of times gone by I do wonder what the history books (or websites) will say about our time, my time. As far as innovation is concerned, the Internet will almost certainly feature as the advancement that changed the world as we once knew it. I suspect mobile phones will follow closely behind. Personally, I threaten to toss mine into the Thames too often to pledge my support of this development in telecommunications. Do people really have to be able to contact me ALL the time?
There is likely to be mention of the numerous wars that continue to be fought around the globe and the effects of 'terrorism' on those who say they strive for peace. Most confrontingly, I wonder what approach historians will take when relaying such atrocities as human trafficking and global poverty. Will they speak of the many who fought to counter these devastating problems or will their digging reveal a past society who preferred to turn a blind eye? Will you be mentioned as one who made a difference...will I? The problem with the 'here and now' is a lack of perspective. Historians have the advantage of hindsight, the ability to see a fuller picture than the one we are caught up in on a daily basis.
Yet, perhaps there is a way. We live in a world that is better connected than ever before. I do wonder if checking Facebook as regularly as I do actually makes my world quite small. And is what the news feeds me on a daily basis a true picture of reality? The big picture is far more vast than I could imagine but I can try to understand. Books, websites, journals....I have past, present and future at my fingertips. While the historians can tell a story, I'm the one who makes it happen today. What will our legacy be - yours and mine? We choose what the historians write. And maybe one day, some student will be inspired by what we did instead of writing about what could have been.
Labels: studies
posted by foxy_roxtar at 9:36 AM
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