A Positive Lesson from Scott McClellan’s Tell-All Book: “What Happened”
(Today’s post was written by my father Dick Miller. Dick was raised a Republican, steered by good math grades and financial necessity to a career in engineering and high-tech software. He is now a born-again anthropologist/historian (it was always in him) and wants JFK (and Jackie) to return to the White House.)
Can You Identify These People Before It’s Too Late??? Part I
If you’re a regular reader of TheCandidacy you’ve no doubt read the guest-posts written by my born-again historian father, Dick Miller. Today is the first of a 3-parter explaining the importance of documentation. Dad has lectured at my school several times over the past few years and has always emphasized the importance of documenting your own family tree as much as possible. The importance of this lesson was recently reinforced to me when one of my students and I were discussing World War II and she mentioned that she had recently learned of her grandfather’s heroic service at Normandy Beach on D-Day. She was proud, but at the same time a bit miffed that no family members had ever bothered to share that piece of important family history with her. I mentioned the story to Dad and asked him to guest-blog once again on the importance of personal documentation to historians (something my kids and grandkids will have no problem with because, for better or worse, I have pretty much let it all hang out on this blog). Thanks, Dad.
In any case, columnist Peggy Noonan argues the case that we need people to write their personal (conflicting) views of history – and history will sort it out. Peggy says,
“Let the debate on the issues commence. What’s needed now? More memoirs, more data, more information, more testimony.”
How does Peggy’s point affect YOU personally? What can you do to affect history? (major segue alert – hold on to the handrail) You may not have the opportunity to effect the entire world, but you can have a major effect on your family and descendants. You can write your own history. Okay, maybe not your own, because you’re still too young for a life-achievement award, but what about your parents, grandparents, or great—etc.? I’ll bet that someone in your own family did something out of the ordinary that you don’t know about, and you never will – unless you ask. Who should you ask? Duh…your parents, grandparents, great—etc.
Don’t Wait Until it is too Late
Like most of us, I never asked when I had the chance. I discovered some items in an attic over 50 years ago, never asked about them, and subsequently found out that a great-great-great uncle was the Indian Agent on the largest Sioux Reservation in the 1880’s and personally knew Sitting Bull. Who knew? But, I would have known if I had asked any number of people who are no longer with us.
The photo of the couple above is from a collection in the attic of my 91year old aunt. I was going to ask her who it was, but waited until I made the next 400 mile journey to see her. She died. Now, there’s not a person in the world that I know of who can identify those people. Were they important? Did they do great things? I’ll probably never know. Nor will I know about the people in the other 50 photos, like this one…he looks important.
What can you do to secure history? We’ll cover that in Part II.
About the Author: Randall H. Miller is an American college educator/blogger. He is also a former U.S. Army officer (82nd Airborne) with a M.A. in Diplomacy (focusing on International Terrorism) and a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Use the form on the right to sign up and receive notifications of new content. The words and ideas expressed here are 100% his own and not those of his employers or affiliated organizations.
Pinkie | Jun 25, 2008 | Reply
What a great post Randall! It seems like our entire society is losing interest in the past: the people that got us to where we are, the situations they faced and how we should admire, respect and learn from them.