I Love History!

In highschool I loved all subjects....EXCEPT-History! English was easy. Although I didn't enjoy being told what to read, I got my jollies from writing. And grammar rules were a breeze. After 13 years of it, I knew them pretty well. Math was self explanatory. I enjoy numbers and playing with them. After taking Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, II, and III, essentially all the same, I had a good grasp. Well, until I left highschool that is. Then I forgot most of it. Science was a blast, especially Chemistry (math based) and anatomy. (The body is SO fascinating!) I even liked JROTC, computer class, Early Childhood Education, the list goes on. (Of course I chose those classes.) But when it came to History, I LOATHED History. History was a thorn in my butt! Oh. If I could have done away with History. The way it was taught. Not linear. And my brain had the hardest time making connections. Memorizing dates and battles. Ugh. I literally left school with no knowledge of History aside from a few famous names.

I had given up all hope in knowing the time difference between the Great Depression and the Haulocaust. Or were the simultaneous? See? I still don't know. I hated History anyway. So who cared? The most I had ever learned about History was outside of school. Reading the American Girl Kit Kitridge books. Now THAT made History interesting! A girl. My age. Growing up in a different time. So much more detail than the paragraph about it in my school textbook! I ate the books up and now I at least have a solid basis for what the Depression was about. Alas, I still did not enjoy History in any way, shape, or form, unless I was reading American Girl.

My Hubby is a huge History buff, so my obvious ignorance in that area I believe made him question why he married me sometimes. I couldn't quite grasp why History made no sense to me. Maybe because I can't interconnect time periods and locations easily. Maybe because my lack of interest, whatever the reason...Those days are behind me.

It wasn't until the last few months was I able to let go of my ill feelings toward school taught History and realize there is a whole rich world of History from a different point of view. They say winners write History. And well, we weren't there, so we don't know. But that is the cool part. We can listen to both sides and see which we believe. (And we don't always agree.) We read Historical Living Books. We watch documentaries. We work on a time line. We draw pictures and pin them to different locations on the map. We bake period foods. We make History something tangible, something fun.

I have taken a deep interest in Abraham Lincoln. Could be because of S's recent obsession with the Civil War. Could be because he is just a well known figure from History. I think it is because of a documentary we watched called, "Stealing Lincoln's Body." It showed History from a whole different perspective. The stuff we were never told about. I just remember he had played a part in the whole slavery process. But to know his body was stolen? Now that is cool. I don't care who you are.

After watching that and viewing a film at the Chickamauga Battle Field and a documentary on Lincoln's early years in politics, I learned that he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I learned it put the South in an uproar. I learned WHY he was against slavery. I learned that he was challenged to a duel because of his slander toward other politics. I learned why Booth assassinated him. I learned....that there is so much more to History than what we hear. And it is worth learning about. Nothing gets my goodies going like a good 'ol fashioned two sided story.

Gosh, I love History....Now THAT'S a first!