When I was in high school, I was a history whiz! I have a retentive memory and made it to the scholarship team which is an aspect of Ohio education. I competed with other students in the state on something so simple as regurgitation of facts about history in both World ad America. I have those papers yet to this day proving that I was a student in 10th and 11th grades.
But I loved biology, was lousy at math and chemistry, so I ended up doing what came naturally, reading and writing to become an English major in literature. I also had to take a number of creative writing classes. The most important professor who influenced me about writing was a criminology professor at which time emphasized the importance of the novel and its impact on society.
I never thought much about historical figures. I had had my favorites when young. Little is really taught or known about many of these important people in history who made it into the hall of fame forever...unless one goes in depth to learn all that advanced studies in history teaches about them.
I was a fan of Tom Jefferson when I was young because he was such a man of the people. I liked his temper, his love of people, and his unique genius mind. I preferred him to all the others at that time in my life because it was the information fed into my mind then that influenced me about his life. He had been a fiery personality who had gumption and courage it seemed to me. Later, when I learned more about him, I changed my opinion of him a lot I will admit.
To me, George Washington appeared too stiff and formal to be likable. He was a soldier, a warrior, a surveyor, a man's man, and not really very likable to my thinking but I loved his wife Martha then. I had had a hat made for me that looked like one that Martha had worn. My mother made it and I was proud to wear it.
Years later, I came to know George Washington in a way that was totally unique and unusual for me, so that I eventually collected a large amount of books about him that I had not read until I was in the position of wanting to know more about him personally. I am forever amazed at all that I learned about him as a man, a soldier, a husband, and a president. I now favor him over all presidents and forefathers that this nation has because I have learned so much about his personal sacrifice and dedication to the cause of the young American nation.
While I do not appear to be as interested in him as I seem to be interested in Alexander the Great, or Louis XIV, that is because I studied him so much early on, made a trip to Virginia to learn all that I could know, and thus, am satisfied in my knowledge of him and his lifetime...He is an important person in our nation's history and we can never repay our debt to him as American citizens. We can only be grateful that his was a destiny that included all of us now.
Because of George, I came to understand a wee bit about this thing called soul. Soul is a word that is so often misused and misunderstood since we associate it only with church and the salvation of souls.
Why does any religious body care so much about soul? It is a lesson that we learn but seldom know its true meaning.
So in my soul searching I came to learn of many distinguished historical warriors of the past. Why always warriors and why always world leaders or national leaders? The soul knows of course, but mankind does not really know at all.
What do cromagnon man, the hunter, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar, Louis XIV, and George Washington all share in common besides being a parr of some world history test and some world history book? Much more than one would think as it turns out. Each one in his own way lives in the world of soul and spirit and each one shares in common lives that are narrow in scope and in intent. Of what purpose are they to the world? Why is that they are celebrated in colleges and universities in courses of study? Why is it that thousands are attracted to their stories to write books, poetry, plays, films, and other forms of art, busts, paintings, etc.? What is it about them that captures the imagination so much?
Why is it that people become so devoted, so jealous, and so protective that if one happens to glean a bit of information about them that is different or unusual that these protectors feel threatened and hurt when this information comes to light?
I have been perplexed so often by people who deny another person the right to having personal knowledge about any and all of these historical figures. I am saying unequivocally that for some reason the gods that be permitted me to learn of these men in a way that I know them now as a part of myself to realize the truth about an aspect of their soul that has been exposed to me. But that is a threat to people who have made them heroic beyond measure in their minds. I have had the brickbats of hatred thrown at me for daring to speak up about these experiences...amazing to me that such personal hatred is a part of a learning experience about a person long since dead and buried and only a brief word in a history book.
Yes, these men are significant and important and are often over-rated and/ or under-rated according to the national history in which he lived. Movies and books have been written which are obvious distortions and often a false presentation of that person but so long as financial gain can be achieved through the examination of their bones and their lives so it will continue to be as long as history survives the planet.
For me, it is a study of soul. What great soul is it that has to perform the deeds that these men performed? Why is it that I have had the liberty and good fortune to encounter these souls in a meaningful way for me to know each one of them?
I have the answer to that but I will keep it to myself...It is only for me to know the truth at this point in time about that. The veins in that horse that I rode when propelled back in time are very important to me to know which nation of the world is a friend to know. Thank you, Elena, for your timeliness, and thanks to all who have helped me in this journey of the soul...God bless.
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