What History Means To Me

1999 Winning Essay, High School

Mesopotamia. The Renaissance. Christopher Columbus. The Constitution. Civil War. Normandy. Martin Luther King, Jr., Sputnik. Vietnam. History is more than a series of events; it's more than just stories and pictures; it's more than just people. History is a unique combination of people, places, events and circumstances that come together to reveal the character of the peoples, nations and worlds of the past. Thus, when I look at history, a variety of thoughts and interpretations come to mind. Without the past, there would be no present. To me, that means that the study of history is more than just learning facts and studying ways of life. Rather, history is a discovery of ourselves—a lesson in who and what we are.

Who am I? In today's eyes I'm a student working my way through school so I can have a good job and succeed. However, who I am is so much more. I am my history. From the first of my forefathers who arrived in Henrico County, Virginia from England on September 28, 1672 to my birth in Alexandria, Virginia (Fairfax County) in 1981, countless ancestors shaped what I would become. The first of my line born in the United States of America was born in 1675. My maternal great-great-great-grandfather served with Co. H, 64th and 22nd Georgia Battalions during the Civil War. My great uncle served in Korea. My grandfather served in World War II. Each of these individuals left their marks on the family, and in some way, on me. In their eyes, the eyes of the past, I'm an unknown. Perhaps I'm a distant thought in their minds as they wondered of what the future would be like. Yet they had no idea how much their lives would affect me.

Who am I going to be? That is where even more history comes in. What I will be is not just determined by choices I make. Countless people, family and friends alike, have also made choices that transformed me into what I am. Since what I am affects what I will be, numerous things have already at least partially shaped my future. Without Christopher Columbus' spirit of daring and pride, where would I be? How have Sputnik and other satellites influenced my character and personality by what I see and hear every day? Not just my direct ancestors have determined who I am; inventors, philosophers, explorers and numerous others have played roles in my history. My history is important to me. Without history, there is no way to learn from mistakes or remember the good times through the bad. History is more than a teacher to me; it's an understanding of why I am who I am. It's a part of my life on which I can never turn back. History is the one thing you can count on to never change; the only thing that changes is people's perception of it.

It cannot be denied that every aspect of the past has shaped the present, nor that every aspect of the present is shaping and will continue to shape the future. In a sense, history is me, and I am the history of the future. History does mean series of events; history means stories and pictures; history means people, and yet, history means much more. History means the people of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. History means me.

by S. E. Lee
Sponsoring Teacher: C. Rogers
Georgia
March 26, 1999