“Who, me?” You may be asking yourself… And then you probably answer in one of two general ways. You’re either a “Why wouldn’t I study History!” or a “History… Blech!”

If you’re a “Why wouldn’t I” person, I am so glad you’re here! You’ve stumbled into what I hope you will find to be a great community of people who love to discuss and learn about history; everything from Medieval England and France, to the history of Asian Music, and up past the Civil Rights Movement in America.

If you’re a “History… Blech!” person, I beg you: give me a few humble paragraphs. If, when you’ve read them, you still hate the idea of learning about history, I will allow you to go on your merry way. But, if I have managed to spark your curiosity, please, feel free to wander around our site a little bit. Browse through an article that catches your eye, or maybe check out our forum and ask a question that you’ve never had a reason to ask before. My guess is that you may find that History is not so terrible after all.

My Argument for studying History.

When thinking of History, you may dread the endless textbooks, the monotone teachers, the uppity librarians, but History is so much more than that. History, at its basis is a story. It’s a story of people, and the things that they did, and thought, and saw within their lifetimes. It gives you the opportunity to step out of the world that you know and look at a different culture through the eyes of the people who were there. And, you don’t have to go looking for it; History is everywhere! You can’t walk down the street without running into the history around you – from the invention of the cement that you’re walking on and how it influenced the building of a great empire, to the person who designed and built the building you’re walking past, or the person who owned the land you live on now before you were even born.

Not enough? Well, I’ve said it before, and I’m sure that it will come up again soon, but the next reason to study history is because if you don’t know what came before you, you cannot possibly see where you are going. I was watching a wonderful series on PBS recently, during which the ancestors of some famous African Americans were researched. The series’ researchers were able to uncover some relatively incredible information, and, for many of the participants, they found that they were practically destined for the lives that they were leading. One story that was especially moving for me was when one of the participants who loved learning found that one of her ancestors had paid to build one of the first black schools in the area. The moral? You will eventually find where you’re supposed to be and what you’re supposed to be doing with yourself, but it will be a much shorter trip if you know where to start from.

Still not convinced? Ok, how about not having to re-invent the preverbal wheel? You’ve probably heard of the air conditioner, the recliner, but how about a God Machine? Maybe not? They were considered “miraculous” by the people of Ancient Greece, and were generally found in Temples. What made them so incredible, you ask? Typically a God Machine depicted a myth or local legend through what could be considered rudimentary animatronics. The doors to the box would open automatically when the machine was activated. This box – that ranged in size from relatively small, to the size of a walk-in closet – could contain almost anything: oceans with waves that really moved, boats that seemed to float across the water, and even, in a few cases, people or Gods who seemed to move across the scene. Just think what our world would be like if we hadn’t virtually lost the ability to make steam engines or self-animated figurines…. If only someone had studied that part of history sooner!

If you’re still not sure, here’s my final reason to study history. Someday, you will be history, too. If you don’t know anything about the people and palaces and proceedings that came before you, how can you expect the people who will come after to study what you’ve done. And, frankly, you’re worth it!

Well? Did I make a dent? I hope that you’ll take a little risk and take one more look at the history around you. You might find it’s not as “Blech” as you thought!

Happy History Hunting!