The Beauty of History
So you say history is boring, I agree. Especially when it has to be taught within the four corners of a wall… You know what I mean right? …then, it can be monotonous.
The museum will be the least place stated in the mind of majority of people if given a one-time wish (unless you were some lover of artifacts or probably need to gather information about your big project), but I bet you will appreciate a work of art wherever you may see one pleasing to the sight; whether it is from the museum or gallery.
So, just like you will appreciate a work of art, not minding if it were an artefact or a work of a talented artist shone in a casement across the street for its beauty, history may have some pleasant contours and shades that you just might not have encountered yet.
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You ever wonder why people seem to use the cliché that ‘history has it recorded’ when they want to relay or relate an event that happened in the past to other people or activities in the present? I’ll tell you. It is because history mainly studies the past to better understand the present and sometimes, predict the future.
History pays attention to past knowledge, heroes, achievements and stories too. You love stories uhn? Perhaps you didn’t regard storytelling as droplets that make up the ocean of history.
History is portrayed, and ranges from the past and recent experiences of an author about a subject matter put together in a book or text to the epic deeds of heroes and heroines written down. Then moving to research findings used in academia….
Traditions of people who live in the past are passed to their children and to other generations. With history in place, traditions, cultures and cultural heritages die hard.
Texts about the kinds of people who had lived in the past, their work, their values, as well as their judgments are only feasible via historical records which is obtained via archeology or other historical means. A society who pays no attention to history will have little to tell of why they strive to remain one.
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As a nation, we usually sing the fifth line of the first stanza of our national anthem in Nigeria that the “…labor of our heroes past shall never be in vain” with some air of excitement and optimism. Or maybe you sing it with contempt, whichever way, a common denominator is that we all acknowledge that the heroes ‘were’ there and they did much labor. History informs us about a hero, his failures, his falls, his successes, his victory and achievements so as to learn from them.
Many a times, in a quest to know what makes a man or a woman stand out with much effulgence in the society, I simply surf to know more about their story. Of course, Rome was not built in one day.
Yes, these people have history, they have stories you will never know about, if you do not pick it up to read! By so doing I am able to know that there were difficult times when things didn’t go as planned, when it was not all rosy…. I am able to see the challenges I am going through as not new, not just that, but also know that they can be overcome. Then, I do not make similar mistakes which they might have made and recovered from, rather, I channel a better course successfully.
History does not just present to us our heroes from time past, it also presents alongside, the kind of attitudes and attributes our society celebrates and otherwise.
Stories are another elements of history. Look at it, gathering together in the family for a moonlight story after having a satisfying meal for dinner is something to be looked forward to by children as well as adults. Take for instance, tortoise stories which are a popular series in African folktales have a way of passing a message across to the listeners as a complement.
A family meeting where members come together to see ways for the progress of the family which is enhanced by telling relevant stories of victories won even when one was not yet a member causes a feeling of ownership (membership) and oneness to sweep through the fold. This is a dimension of history.
Looking upon past events as a family, or as a society or a nation will help us to know where we are coming from and what it is we are striving to obtain. We will understand the present better and know why it is the way it is.
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For instance, in Nigeria, by history we know that we were once in colonization under the British which lasted for a long period of time. Ordinary individuals rose up to being icons and heroes while they demonstrated the art of bravery as they fought and advocated for our independence, the likes of Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Anthony Enahoro and Tafawa Balewa.
People who make history never actually realize that they are until they have
A simple act of kindness shown to another human can be a moment of historic significance in years to come, even so the criminal act of exchange of individual’s grades can pull out a buried matter in no distant days ahead. This I believe is one beauty of history.
Whether one lives life flaunting societal laws and values, or lives an ordinary life in an extraordinary way showing bravery and a good spirit in order to enhance human living; history always have it recorded. It accommodates all stories but awards the better ones.
This is why you will have a story to tell about the life of a beloved neighbor, which although will be done with much with much sympathy and regret, supposing he dies. At the same time you have a story to tell about a notorious killer, but this time, having to tell it with much gaiety!
Making history is a thing of the present but history itself is calling the past into the present. History is a reflection of the past, comparing and contrasting it with the present to gain an understanding of the reason why things are the way they are at present.
People who made history in time past may not have judged their deeds to bear in the hands of history but it did. Legends such as Mary Slessor who stopped the killing of twins might not have cared for the records of history as much as she cared about salvaging the lives of the infants being lost.
Nelson Mandela at his end was consumed with getting his people freed from slavery and the ways the apartheid could be brought to a stop, even while in prison (this passion must have kept him alive and hoping while being imprisoned). Looking on the past and seeing how much he had suffered, he must have found a reason to keep up the fight, knowing that one day in the future, those sufferings will become stories of bravery and victory worthy of all of his sacrifices.
History lines from a simple act of kindness of yesterday to outstanding acts of yesterday. However, in our generation, making history is a proactive decision taken even before we set out to do so. These days’ youths are encouraged to make a wealth of history by doing those things which their peers do not want to do but should do, like giving time to reading and working, and making some research instead of lazing around.
They are to portray themselves as leaders of tomorrow living life with much focus on their goal thereby living accordingly in the present. But one thing we are missing out is that we cannot effectively live the present without connecting to the purpose, the aim, the goal of the past. We are supposed to bring improvement upon the achievements of past leaders.
Since history is not only about the epic deeds which happen in a lifetime or generation – even though they are the kinds that are healthy for the society- anyone on earth have the potential to make history. People who go down in history have done important and famous things that people in the future remember them for.
One will never forget Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who is considered the undisputed leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. His words serve as motivation even until now. Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister, Kennedy Onassis and Cleopatra of Egypt, etc. are female heroines looked upon as role models.
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It is not unusual that male heroes have gone down in history much more than heroines. Nevertheless, heroines, a few of whom are mentioned supra have risen to heights which cannot be held insignificant by history. I would not say that men are given opportunities to fight much more than ladies, for this will be untrue. Another beautiful thing about history is that everyone (male and female alike) have the opportunity to be passionate about something, and to pursue their passion.
No individual will make history if he or she lacks passion for the change which he or she really desires. Passion is that drive that makes you do the extraordinary in following after an ordinary picture that you see.
Maya Angelou rose above her difficult childhood to become one of the most influential writers and civil rights activist. She conquered her childhood difficulties and left a legacy for females of this generation. This depicts that it is not impossible for any female who have made a choice to leave a resounding legacy to accomplish that.
By history and its study, we get to know females who have ran the race, and have won. You too can win alright. It just follows that it is achievable in the near future, so seize your future, lady.
Conclusively, we must know that history is largely beneficial and devoting attention to learning it and its essence, in informing us of the people of the past, – who they were and what they lived for, and how much they were willing to give themselves to that course – by both young and old would spur us into motion to move further, even if by a little bit.
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