Better late than never

I was forced to take a brief hiatus from all things academic over the past week, so this blog is late, and I know it won't be eligible for a mark, but I wanted to say something anyway.

As a history major, and someone passionately interested in the past, Baudrillard was a particularly poignant read for me. I think I can personally relate to the feeling that there cannot be one truth about anything in the world around us, and I think anyone who studies history in depth discovers quickly that this uncertainty is everywhere in the history books. Historians disagree on, discuss, redefine and reevaluate their perspectives on historical events all the time. For me, this is one of the best things about studying history. Once you get past the frustration of having to memorize "facts" and dates that may or may not be the important ones, I think the subjectivity of history opens up a whole new world. It means that there are millions of ways to see the "progress" (or decline, depending on your perspective) of humanity. Each conflicting historical lesson I learn, whether it's in a class, from a book, or even through a movie, I find myself more able to open my mind to other perspectives in my day to day life. History is an opportunity to explore human behaviour and our own lives, as a result.

I think the idea that history is disappearing is interesting because I think there will always be ways to look at the past, regardless how complex or manipulated the records may be. There will be people who study old CNN broadcasts, emails and blogs, and all the other bizarre documents we are currently leaving behind. It's all evidence of who we are now, what we do, why we do it, how we do it. History, like the study of literature or art, is all about interpretation and you work with what you have.