I Love Loving History

I went to a gun & knife show this morning. If you've never been to one, it's a gathering where independent dealers of guns & knifes & other goods come together, usually for a weekend. What got my attention the most this morning, however, was the table stacked with 1940s LIFE magazine issues, and an original Gone With the Wind program from 1939. I spent more time at that table than any other, talking about the Vietnam War (the main subject of his LIFE issues) & Gone With the Wind. I bought two of the magazines - one for my father-in-law who's a Vietnam Veteran, and one for my mother that was printed in June of 1949, the month after she was born. As a child I had no interest in history, and it felt like we were being grilled with it over & over again. We learned about Louisiana history, U.S. History, European history, World history, to name a few subjects. Over the last few years my psyche has undergone a complete change with regard to history. I've come to thoroughly appreciate the endeavors of our ancestors, and now I understand the importance of "how we got here." Encyclopedias, historical newspaper & magazine articles, and the old-timers themselves are wonderful opportunities to discover & learn about the past. I'm grateful for my newfound appreciation for history!