Anonymous asked: what got you interested in history?

History is fun. And I know that sounds odd to say (since when did old books and dusty libraries become fun?), but it’s the truth. 

Unfortunately, the study of history (because of how it’s presented) is usually seen as boring or old-fashioned, or something along those lines. The simple fact is without understanding our history (whether personal or national) we will not understand who we are.

The study of history is at its heart a creative endeavor. You need imagination to figure out how to piece all the little evidentiary bits together to create a story; you need imagination to be able how to present that story in a way that makes it come alive.

That’s a really long-winded way of saying, I was lucky when I was a kid. Someone made history interesting for me by asking questions and making me go find the answers. That has always been the fun part of the study of history for me, finding answers and asking questions.

That and libraries are quiet.