10.10.04

I think that the idea of history as a dull recitation of dates and events is wrong. History is about people--and we're an egocentric species. We love watching ourselves, and anthropomorphize everything.

Humans--we are the greatest spectator sport.

History is stories about people; their lives, loves, fears, hopes, triumphs, failures. ... These people are the same ones that we see every day. History is how a woman knitted her family's socks in the 16th century. How a ploughman stacked his corn in the 14th century. How they buried their dead in the 1st century. How the idea of double-entry bookeeping came about. The prevalence of adultery, and pre-marital sex in 17th century Europe. The rate of incest in the 18th century.

History isn't dates. It's our story.

I am appalled when people spout ideas such as Egypt's pyramids, the Nazca lines, and Stonehenge had to have been built by aliens, or something not human had to be involved. Ha! As if our ancestors are some sort of intellectually stunted version of our present selves. Ha! again. We humans are inventive, determined, and arrogant. If we decide we want to do something, it gets done. Maybe not quickly, maybe not the first time, but it does tend to happen.

We do run into trouble because we can't see all the ramifications of our actions, true. I can't deny that.

However, history is our chronicle. We humans are more alike than different. It's about damn time we figure that out.

Erp. There I go. Thinking again.

Damn.

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