“I’ll never forget where I was when…”
In every generation, there seems to be a defining moment that becomes forever etched in the minds of those people who live through it. My grandparents can tell me exactly where they were when they heard that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. My mother has related her story of where she was when Kennedy was shot. I can still remember exactly what I was doing when I heard that Challenger had exploded.
Historical writing does not have to (and should not) be “high-falooting” words immaculately printed in musty volumes to act as dust catchers for the libraries of the world. Historical writing can be about the here and now, recorded for posterity.
By recording your memories, images, and feelings of events, you are doing more than recording factual information. You are creating a historical memory to be shared in later generations.
Years from now, people will recall the facts of September 11, 2001—the events that happened, the number of people killed, the action taken afterwards. What we, as historical writers, must do is to make sure that this does not become a stale writing buried in centuries of textbook summaries.
Mourn, honor, but above all else remember, so history has no chance to repeat itself. Will you ever forget where you were when…?
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