As you may pick up when you read my blogs, and certainly my book, I love history. I have always been interested in history, and although many people think of it as uninteresting dates, names and dusty old events that don’t matter, I beg to differ.
The thing is, dusty old events lead to a progression in our world – which leads to our own situations eventually. That is why in school they called it Social Studies! My passion is also in looking at what life was like for all those people who were not the names we had to memorize, and who were not necessarily involved in the dusty old events.
I used to imagine becoming a history teacher, and coming to class as a teacher in each era that we covered. If we were studying the Civil War, I would come dressed as a woman in the Civil War. I would have tried to get into the character, like all those museum and living history guides at historical monuments. If I had the chance, I suppose I would love doing that for a job. Because to me, that makes history relevant. What would my life be like back then?
This is what makes history come alive, and I submit to you that we have historical treasures everywhere. My next book is taking shape, and it is set at the beginning of the 1900’s. I am doing research, studying books and newspapers for details, as usual, and it also happens that I am drawing from the treasures I have collected during my life. These treasures come from the stories that I have sat and listened to from family and friends older than me.
Our senior citizen population is a treasure trove of ideas and descriptions that make history come alive! I am writing about a girl coming of age in the First World War. My grandparents lived their young lives at the same time, so I am remembering stories from them when I am thinking about what life was like.
Now, you may not be writing a book, or even think history is that interesting right now, but I think it would be invaluable to you if you would take the time to talk with someone older than you about what life was like. There is wisdom and experience that could shed some light on what you feel is a modern day problem, if you are only willing to search for historical treasure!