Students of History: Why I'm not a Buff, Part II

Yup, you got it - seekers of knowledge and understanding.

Does someone opening a history book for the first time possess the same level of knowledge, or the same level of understanding, as a professional historian? No. Does it really matter? No, it does not.

Everyone starts from the same location - the beginning. And that's everyone. Not even Ed Bearss or James McPherson began in the middle. And they're still learning. Always will be. Just like us.

The important thing isn't when we started or where we are along the trail. The important thing is the fact that we are willing to take the trip.

And from the most well seasoned professional to the person who just today began learning about the war, we are all one thing above and beyond everything else - students. We all want to learn. We all want to understand.

Easy to do? Not always. Worth the effort? Every time.

We are seekers of knowledge and understanding. As students of history, it is the one thing we all have in common, regardless of anything else. Including our various opinions about the war we all find so fascinating.

I'm not a buff, an avocational historian, or an expert. I'm a student. Not just a student. A student. Period.

And in my book, a student is a darn good thing to be. It means that you're learning things. It means that you want to.

And it means that you will never stop.

One day perhaps, when someone discovers that I have an interest in the American Civil War, they will walk up to me, put a hand on my shoulder, and proclaim with a friendly smile, "So, I hear you're a Civil War student."

One can dream you know.

Perry

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