The other day I attended an historical lecture by an historical scholar. I won't specify more than that. Suffice to say, it was about a particular event in American history that is among my most fundamental interests. The historian who gave the lecture is highly respected in academic circles; he is a history professor and published author. I really enjoyed the lecture until it came to one point in … [Read more...]
The Personal Public Event
September 11, 2013 by
It's strange that a few days ago I began thinking about this point, the Personal Public Event. Strange that today it's the 12th anniversary of 9-11. Context first. Our church pastor, prior to arriving at our church, was a minister at a congregation near New Orleans. He refers often to Hurricane Katrina and the destruction to both the region and the lives of he, his family, and the congregation. I … [Read more...]
Water On The Rock
April 22, 2012 by
I've written this piece for The Commonplace Book, but I think it's important enough to insert here, too. Think of a big event in your life, something that you believe has left a deep impression on you since it happened. Got it? OK, I’d like you to go with me for the next minute of so. Keep your chosen event in the front of your mind. How much time has passed since the event occurred? Do you … [Read more...]
29 Years Up River
December 14, 2011 by
I'm reading a book right now that involves a leader who played an important role in two community tragedies, 29 years apart. In the first instance--we'll call that Event A--he has the potential to do the right thing and then turns away to do the wrong thing. In choosing the wrong path people died needlessly; a different choice on his part and there was a chance they or some of them would have … [Read more...]
Tears in the Library
May 24, 2011 by
Sitting in a non-descript library, I began to tear up. I was watching a video of Secretariat's victory in the Belmont, the final of the three Triple Crown races. The race was in June 1973. I was 11 years old at the time. The video was the actual footage of the race, including the post call by Chic Anderson. In the background was symphonic music. The end of the clip included both still shots and … [Read more...]
Real History Not There and Yet Still Made
April 25, 2011 by
Nearly every day, on an interstate highway, I drive by a pond dug when they constructed the four (now six) lane road that I travel on. It's in a fairly dense retail area. Back in the late 1970s, when I was in high school, there was a well-known restaurant that sat on the bank of the pond. It was called The Wharf. I always wanted to take a date there, to the Wharf. It struck me as the kind of … [Read more...]
The Right Glue
April 15, 2011 by
I found a news story that didn’t make much of a splash. A professor of disaster planning at Tohoku University in Japan commented recently that research shows “it takes about three generations of people to forget.” Professor Fumihiko Imamura was referring to the communities affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami earlier this spring. After three generations, people forget or lose track of … [Read more...]
The Next Forgotten War: My Prediction
January 24, 2011 by
The term "forgotten war" is usually attached to the Korean War of 1950-1953. Sandwiched between World War II and the Vietnam War in the American experience, historians and commentators believe that the public memory has relegated the Korean War to the periphery. Perhaps. I saw last week an article that invoked the same term, using it to suggest that the current war in Afghanistan may go the way of … [Read more...]
Life From Death
December 20, 2010 by
Back on Thanksgiving morning, my sister died, after 57 years on earth. She was always a large influence on me. And once more, at her funeral service, she left a mark. Everything boils down to a picture, a box, and a stone across the road. There was a picture, a photograph, of her sitting next to the casket. I'm guessing it was taken 10 or 15 years ago. That image was of who she was physically at … [Read more...]
Seeing History
December 15, 2010 by
In November 2010, Paul Bulmahn flew aboard a helicopter over the Gulf of Mexico. Bulmahn, chief executive officer of ATP Oil & Gas, peered through the chopper's window. He looked out over the vast body of water beneath him and saw various types of oil rigs and drill platforms. Some were in use, some were not. Some were new or newer, others were quite old, dating back to the 1940s. Bulmahn … [Read more...]
Has This Ever Happened To You?
October 11, 2010 by
It was extraordinary, something I'll remember for quite a while. A couple of weeks ago I was sitting at home, on a weekend I think. I was reading (something historical would be a good guess). As I read, for some unknown reason, a memory of a smell flashed in my mind. At the very same instant--probably no more than a second in length--I had a clear recollection of a place and event long ago in my … [Read more...]
