Wednesday, August 11, 2010

History is Beautiful

Two weeks ago I went to a meeting at the History Museum to listen to the new director. He was bold, brave talking of the changes he plans on making in the next several years. Making several statements that made some of the veteran docents squirm in their chairs, and me take out a notebook. Change is hard for many people, even when it is needed- this is a perfect example of that. I love change.

He ended his talk with this quote that I’ve heard before, but never in such a perfect setting: "The past is like a foreign country; they do things different there.” (by Leslie Poles Hartley, from the first line of The Go-Betweens)

It’s been such a pleasure to learn about the past over the last several months and I so agree with Mr. Hartley, at times it does seem very foreign and even exciting. John and I went on a little trek up to Heber City twice in the space of four days in the last week of July. We came home with many things to think about, one of which was a story about a rose bush that was hand carried from Scotland all the way across the plains and cared for ever since by someone in the family line. I brought the last bud of the summer home with me.

I think history is beautiful.