I'm reminded reading this, Emma of Patti Smith's amazing song, People Have The Power, which often ends up as communal singing at her gigs, the recordings of which always make me cry. I've been following the Freedom Flotilla and the march on Gaza by thousands of people who, sick of the lack of action by those in power are attempting to break the blockade themselves. People do have the power 💪
I love this and empathise hugely on the GCSE front and the stomach churning headlines, both feature in the post I've just sent out. I love your take on GCSE history though, I really do and like your daughter mine has resisted all offers of help. My daughter's final history paper was on Vikings and Nazis, what a combo! And I was so pleased when, after her 'final' history lesson before exams, she decided she wasn't done with history and swapped out sociology A level option, replacing it with history. She's even considering swapping English Lang for Classics & civilisation. But yes, I know and I hope that we will come out of this awful period of history we're living through right now but I also feel like I've been saying that for the past ten years. Love to you all in these last few days of exams. Hx
So interesting to hear about your daughter’s thirst for history. My son is the same. We get a daily barrage of questions about obscure periods. We even get tested on our knowledge. He loves knowing something we don’t. And I agree, knowing people have continued to survive seems to really help him too.
I find the new hamster helpful with the optimism. Shame he has to share his brain cell with all the other hamsters. But he is very cute and tempting me to get another pet !
Oh Em, this article made me laugh. I can briefly remember learning about communist China for a small part of history GCSE but the rest of high school was definitely year after year of the black death, that tapestry and 1066😂
So much of this I resonate with. I loved history at school but at end of second year the head ‘chose ‘ your subjects. I had to drop history in favour of the driest subject in the universe , Applied Maths, a delightful mix of physics and maths with Latin and Greek symbols!!! Yeah , me neither! My dad was not pleased as he felt history was an important subject and would give me a more rounded education. However even he did not have the stomach to argue with Sister. I lost heart in it. it caused too much negativity. Anyway I made up for the lack of history in two ways I read a lot about modern American politics especially JFK, RFK and Martin Luther King assassinations. I was fascinated by everything surrounding these events. When my own kids each did a project on all that I had loads of stuff to give them. which I had collected over the years. Yes even the magic bullet theory ! I’ve been to Dallas and walked the walk including the ‘grassy knoll’ trying to imagine the horror of that day. It had a huge effect on me as a child and I’ve written about it as part of personal memoir.
I listened to my daughter as she practiced her ‘ I have a dream ‘ speech until she was word perfect I also took a night class years later and sat Higher History. Covered some good subjects including the reunification of Italy I like historical novels too but need to read more widely. Read some good South American ones. The music you mention sounds great Maybe see if on at Edinburgh Festival this year. Finally back to American politics and history and music, Billy Joel says it all in his song ‘ We didn’t start the fire’ Have a listen Very clever and catchy.
Great post Emma Lots to talk about . Very much an area of mutual interest Have a couple of pieces I wrote some time back as part of personal memoir and also about lesser well known women who have made a difference in history
As regards the present situation it would be easy to despair but as you have stated , it’s the ordinary people who work away and bring about change for the good and we need to keep hope in our hearts by doing our own wee bit in our tiny corner I still believe in a God who works through people and can change fear into courage, chaos into clarity and calm and despair into perseverance and hope.Watching some of the marches in USA over weekend has been inspiring. However I’m not undermining the sadness and horror of the present suffering of ordinary people. The war mongering is terrible, deeply worrying but we need to keep hope alive and not become paralysed with it all Thanks for the post Thoroughly enjoyed it and all written out so well
Thanks so much Margaret, I'd love to see your pieces about the lesser well known women - sounds very interesting. The Civil Rights era is fascinating, horrifying, and hopeful all at once ❤️
I'm reminded reading this, Emma of Patti Smith's amazing song, People Have The Power, which often ends up as communal singing at her gigs, the recordings of which always make me cry. I've been following the Freedom Flotilla and the march on Gaza by thousands of people who, sick of the lack of action by those in power are attempting to break the blockade themselves. People do have the power 💪
We can but hope ❤️
I love this and empathise hugely on the GCSE front and the stomach churning headlines, both feature in the post I've just sent out. I love your take on GCSE history though, I really do and like your daughter mine has resisted all offers of help. My daughter's final history paper was on Vikings and Nazis, what a combo! And I was so pleased when, after her 'final' history lesson before exams, she decided she wasn't done with history and swapped out sociology A level option, replacing it with history. She's even considering swapping English Lang for Classics & civilisation. But yes, I know and I hope that we will come out of this awful period of history we're living through right now but I also feel like I've been saying that for the past ten years. Love to you all in these last few days of exams. Hx
Vikings and Nazis - what a combo indeed!! And the exams finished today... how about for you? Prom tomorrow... and then... RELAX ❤️
Thank you for sharing such a token of hope and forever reminder that ‘better days are coming’. 🩵
❤️
So interesting to hear about your daughter’s thirst for history. My son is the same. We get a daily barrage of questions about obscure periods. We even get tested on our knowledge. He loves knowing something we don’t. And I agree, knowing people have continued to survive seems to really help him too.
I find the new hamster helpful with the optimism. Shame he has to share his brain cell with all the other hamsters. But he is very cute and tempting me to get another pet !
Aaw so cute with the hamster optimism 💕💕but yes all the questions!! I love it. Did definitely knows more than me - makes we want to study again 🥰
Oh Em, this article made me laugh. I can briefly remember learning about communist China for a small part of history GCSE but the rest of high school was definitely year after year of the black death, that tapestry and 1066😂
Honestly that bloody tapestry 🤣
So much of this I resonate with. I loved history at school but at end of second year the head ‘chose ‘ your subjects. I had to drop history in favour of the driest subject in the universe , Applied Maths, a delightful mix of physics and maths with Latin and Greek symbols!!! Yeah , me neither! My dad was not pleased as he felt history was an important subject and would give me a more rounded education. However even he did not have the stomach to argue with Sister. I lost heart in it. it caused too much negativity. Anyway I made up for the lack of history in two ways I read a lot about modern American politics especially JFK, RFK and Martin Luther King assassinations. I was fascinated by everything surrounding these events. When my own kids each did a project on all that I had loads of stuff to give them. which I had collected over the years. Yes even the magic bullet theory ! I’ve been to Dallas and walked the walk including the ‘grassy knoll’ trying to imagine the horror of that day. It had a huge effect on me as a child and I’ve written about it as part of personal memoir.
I listened to my daughter as she practiced her ‘ I have a dream ‘ speech until she was word perfect I also took a night class years later and sat Higher History. Covered some good subjects including the reunification of Italy I like historical novels too but need to read more widely. Read some good South American ones. The music you mention sounds great Maybe see if on at Edinburgh Festival this year. Finally back to American politics and history and music, Billy Joel says it all in his song ‘ We didn’t start the fire’ Have a listen Very clever and catchy.
Great post Emma Lots to talk about . Very much an area of mutual interest Have a couple of pieces I wrote some time back as part of personal memoir and also about lesser well known women who have made a difference in history
As regards the present situation it would be easy to despair but as you have stated , it’s the ordinary people who work away and bring about change for the good and we need to keep hope in our hearts by doing our own wee bit in our tiny corner I still believe in a God who works through people and can change fear into courage, chaos into clarity and calm and despair into perseverance and hope.Watching some of the marches in USA over weekend has been inspiring. However I’m not undermining the sadness and horror of the present suffering of ordinary people. The war mongering is terrible, deeply worrying but we need to keep hope alive and not become paralysed with it all Thanks for the post Thoroughly enjoyed it and all written out so well
Calamity** and despair into perseverance and hope
Thanks so much Margaret, I'd love to see your pieces about the lesser well known women - sounds very interesting. The Civil Rights era is fascinating, horrifying, and hopeful all at once ❤️