Let me start off by saying I should be writing a paper. I should be writing about Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle and how it reflects on the significance of pausing in the present to reflect on the past, but as I read about Rip and his unfortunate circumstances, I (1) agree with Irving and (2) feel infinitely sorry for Rip.
If that indeed is the reason Irving choose to write Rip Van Winkle (I make no claims to excellent literary analyses.) then he is totally correct. Winston Churchill once said, "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see." Our nation and world faces new challenges every day, some that seem insurmountable, but if we could just take a moment and reflect on the past, maybe we could see a clearer picture for solving these problems. I tutor children in math every day, and although I recognize the importance of math and science to our global competitiveness, I feel a little disheartened that history does not get the same amount of effort and attention. It is important that these kids someday know how to balance a checkbook, but will they also know the laws of our land, and will they have enough love and respect for our liberties to adequately defend them?
Second, I feel sorry for Rip, because, even though he became the resident story teller of his community sparking an interest in the past among its residence, he slept through history. He had a chance to see it, and he missed it! He slept through the AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Now, in a historical sense, the events we see today do not compare, but how much history are we "sleeping" through? I am bad to wish I had grown up during some of the most significant moments in American history without thoroughly appreciating the history we are living (and making!) everyday.
Think about it. I definitely did not vote for President Obama, and don't plan on doing it in 2012, but the historical significance of his election is remarkable. President Lyndon Johnson (my favorite) signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 just forty-six years ago. That may seem like a long time ago, but to put it into perspective think about the fact that the Civil War ended, marking the real beginning of freedom for slaves, in 1865, 145 years ago. It took another 100 years for African-Americans to be allowed to go to school with white children, and now just forty-six years later, one has prevailed to hold arguably the highest position in the world. Regardless of how well you think he is performing his duties, that's still pretty incredible.
Partly to be fair to conservatives, but more so just because I vehemently support him, think of the significance of people like Mitt Romney being able to run for president or run companies. At the beginning of our nation, religion dominated your life. You could have your property, freedoms, and even your life taken for the crime of thinking differently. Not during my lifetime, but “recently” in a historical sense, our country has elected a Catholic in President Kennedy, and now we allow a Mormon to run with minimal attacks based on religion (and the majority of those coming from his own party). In this country, you can call for the complete dissolution of the IRS and still run for president with no persecution. In the 1960’s young adults came together thinking differently and listening to different music, and somehow sparked a cultural phenomenon. My point is thinking differently is no longer a crime in the United States; it’s celebrated!
If I did not have a paper to get back to, I could go on forever talking about the incredible events we see taking place today, and how we really should take just a moment to reflect and, most importantly, learn. Maybe I'll write a sequel ;-)
My point is we live in incredible times in an even more incredible nation, and it's time we take time to reflect on that. Our past has shaped us into the great nation we are today, and we would do well to take more time to learn from it.
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