History....

Anyone who knows me, knows that I appreciate history. I have a passion for finding out what and why something occurred and too quickly wonder what and I all too often ponder what would have happened if things had occurred another way.
Diana Gabaldon’s new book, An Echo in the Bone, already has a cherished place on my shelf and it isn’t set to be published until September 22. Its number 7 in the series. Claire, the main character in the series, has the unique opportunity to travel through time and change things. Of course, her love interest, Jaime, is her motivation for the travel, but she also is attempting to discover who she is and where she fits in with the rest of the world. It’s set in Europe and the mysteries surrounding the European countryside abound throughout all of her novels.
I first read Outlander, the first book in the series, and was immediately hooked. I’ve told my students that it is a perfect mixture of mystery, romance, and history that the series has become oft read and cherished for it’s story. Gabaldon is Scottish and my desire albeit fear to travel to the lands I read about helps in my passion for the series.
On a grander scale, I’ve recently discovered that changing history is not something one should take lightly. History is supposed to be left to the past. We should revere and learn from, but leave it alone. I’m not convinced of that even as I write it, but I believe it’s the expected and most accepted belief.
But what if we could change history, by tackling it new today. Can we change history by revisiting the past and create ultimately a new history? Probably not. Reliving history all too often just harbors pain, but I believe it’s good to do. I think there are elements that need to be looked at with fresh eyes. Or at least given an opportunity for a fresh approach—a chance to show that what once was is no longer or maybe it is.
I never used to like tomatoes. I didn’t mind ketchup, spaghetti sauce, etc., but to eat a homegrown, fresh off the vine tomato would not have been an option. Today, I can’t get enough of a fresh tomato. So much so that I could probably be called a tomato snob in that December tomatoes are not in my fridge.
The connection? I truly believe that history is not. I don’t believe it’s in the past. I believe that every decision one makes has some basis in history. Our history dictates our decision today and ultimately what we do or don’t do. My dislike of tomatoes just needed to be looked at with fresh eyes. Given another opportunity if you will. Ultimately our history is our present.
On another note—RIP Patrick Swayze. His line in Dirty Dancing, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner” remains one of my favorite of all time. Right behind, Clark Gable’s “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” in Gone with the Wind. A scary theme emerges from both those lines.