History is boring. That’s how I felt until right around the
age of 26. It’s embarrassing really. I didn’t pay attention in school because I
didn’t care. I grew up in Wyoming and Colorado and was confident that I would
never travel any further east than Kansas. I wasn’t interested in any world
outside of what was right in front of me. I knew I would use Math later in my
life, English would come in handy at some point, but History? No need to pay
any attention to a past that I not only couldn’t change, but didn’t think had
any impact in my current life. How naïve.
When does History come in handy in life? When your kids
start asking for help with their homework. When they ask questions about the
Civil War or the Declaration of Independence and you thank God for Google
because you can’t remember a single thing about either of those. Paying attention
in History class would have really been nice when my kids said, “did they not
teach History back when you were in school Mama, because you don’t know the
answers to any of my questions?” Ouch.
start asking for help with their homework. When they ask questions about the
Civil War or the Declaration of Independence and you thank God for Google
because you can’t remember a single thing about either of those. Paying attention
in History class would have really been nice when my kids said, “did they not
teach History back when you were in school Mama, because you don’t know the
answers to any of my questions?” Ouch.
In my adult life I have had the privilege of traveling much
farther than Kansas and I long to go back to those boring old History classes
in school and soak in every bit of information. I wish I wasn’t such an idiot
back then and could have seen further than my graduation day. But the upside to
feeling like a dummy when you can’t answer your kids’ questions is a second
chance. I have the chance to read and Google and ask my children questions and
learn. And if that doesn’t work I go to my back up response; “That sounds like
a great question for your dad to answer!”
farther than Kansas and I long to go back to those boring old History classes
in school and soak in every bit of information. I wish I wasn’t such an idiot
back then and could have seen further than my graduation day. But the upside to
feeling like a dummy when you can’t answer your kids’ questions is a second
chance. I have the chance to read and Google and ask my children questions and
learn. And if that doesn’t work I go to my back up response; “That sounds like
a great question for your dad to answer!”
