Hello and welcome to History Behind the Headlines, the first
post on my first blog! My name is John Chiarella and I’m very excited (and a
bit anxious) to get started! And I think the best way to do so is to explain the
mission of this site and why I believe in it…
I’m often asked what kind of history I’m into or would like
to specialize in. While there are different times and places that are more
attractive to me personally, I always respond by saying it’s not so much the
era that interests me—it’s about that era’s connection to today and how that
era still has an impact on us. The relevancy of history is what drives me to
make it a career instead of just a hobby.
I believe that most people don't have access to
the full story. I’ve always felt that across the majority of run-and-gun news
reports about current events, the most insightful and consequential
information, namely the big ‘Why?’ is either pushed out or ignored altogether.
My hope with this blog is that I can provide greater context to a number of
current events and therefore a better understanding of the world around us.
Nothing exists in a vacuum; there are plenty of reasons for why the world looks
the way it does. A better understanding of the past might dispel fear and
confusion about the present. There’s an explanation for everything—though as to
how satisfying or complete it is can’t be determined by me.
This blog also exists because I hope to provide a better
path to teaching history. All too often,
history is seen (and usually taught) as bare dates, bland descriptions, and with
an overwhelming sense of indifference. There’s crucial relevancy in history. It is vivacious and complex, full of boldness and intimacy as well as tragedy and
hilarity, and is never without further discovery or amazement. It’s not facts
and figures—it’s quite literally a “story” stretching across all of time. Over
the years, I’ve read several non-fiction authors who will serve as a model to
my writing, which is meant to bring history out of the dank boredom of most
classrooms and into the light of discovery.
There’s a quote that’s often attributed to Theodore
Roosevelt (most likely through The Night at the Museum), and while I’m sure he
believed it, I can’t confirm its authenticity: “I believe that the more you
know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future.” That
principle has guided me through both my academic as well as my personal life.
Information is what we act on—how could we not try to get more of it from the
easiest and most readily available source, the past? How could we not learn
from it, to look back and see what worked and what didn’t, what mistakes were
made, what patterns of thought and action were present? With history
understood, we have the greatest preparation possible.
I won’t pretend like I believe historical understanding is a
panacea to contemporary issues or that I know or understand it all myself, even
within the narrow confines of this post. I’m right with you, learning more
every day, reading across the packed pages of history right up to today. I hope
that with this blog, we’ll be able to understand the page we find ourselves
still writing in and to predict the ones coming up. That’s all for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment