Why Didn’t I Think of That?

Today I’ve been doing a lot of research on line. History is funny. It is what it is; you can’t change the history of a place. That might make it seem very cut and dried, black and white, objective really. But everyone knows that isn’t the case. All history has been filtered through the perspectives, judgments and views of people—ultimate subjectivity! The people who lived it, the people who recorded it, the people who write about it today. You can read so many different accounts or takes on the same thing—it can truly make my head spin.

As I was reading at the computer, my head spinning, my five year old climbed into my lap (mainly to annoy me I think). “What’s this map for?” “It’s an old survey map showing the log jam that used to be here?” “Is it still here?” “No, getting rid of that jam is what made Mount Vernon a successful, viable city over a hundred years ago. Before they got rid of that, big boats couldn’t come up the river.” There was a long pause while I hoped he was thinking about the wisdom I’d just dropped on him. Then he stated, “I think the beavers made it. They needed higher water so they built a dam. But it’s not so nice for beavers to do that so boats can’t go across the places.” Thanks for adding a new perspective Little Man. I needed a good chuckle this afternoon.