Welcome Back to The Historiat
Hello, My Name Is Lawrence, And I Am a Historian.
Why history?
Ugh, it’s so boring. I just can’t get into it. You can’t make any real money. I have heard it all.
For me, the honest answer is, I like it. Really, I should say, I love it.
I grew up around “old” things. Farmhouses, antiques, farm equipment, and people. Roaming the rural wooded hills in the South Carolina upstate often brought the discovery of old grave markers or a stone chimney, the solitary reminder of a long-gone house. It was all admired with fascination by a young boy who liked to make up stories that answered the many questions brought up by his treasured finds.
In school, I struggled with everything except history. Often, any disciplinary problems (of which there seemed to be an abundance) were soothed over by striking up discussions of the Civil War using the Assistant Principal’s wall calendar for inspiration. Battle sites from the American Revolution and the Civil War dotted the area I grew up in. To me, they were better than Disney World.
As a kid of Gen X, the internet and tech boom were the way towards a good career and financial stability. I choose a different path, joining the Marines out of high school. The first real life decision I made based on a love of the past. Military history was, and still is, my first and strongest academic passion. My military time is a blessing, it provided training and experience in a technical job and has given me the money and opportunity to study history in college. It also allowed me to meet like-minded people. The military seems to draw a lot of history folks.
Over the last few decades, I have traveled the world to explore significant sites and take part in a little history myself. Walking, touching, and at times, tasting as much history as possible. This “real life” classroom has given me a worldly and open view of history, or should I say, “the past.” After all, to me, there is certainly a difference.
The past is “what happened.” History is how we view it, and many things affect that “view.” Culture, experience, time, discoveries. The point being, there are often several perspectives of the same event.
My goal as a historian and editor is to provide an honest, open, and respectful environment for discussions about history and the human experience. To learn together and from each other. I hope that is what we can do here at RealClearHistory. Interact. Discuss. Learn. Keep the love of history alive and teach others the value of viewing the world through a historical lens.
