January 13, 2007

  • long ago and close to home

      One of my Christmas gifts was a book "Cleveland:1796-1929" by Thea Gallo Becker which is an overview of the history of my home town and filled with pictures, mostly old photographs. It's part of a series covering many aspects of this city & surrounding suburbs. It's a splendid book & I've spent hours studying it. I'm thrilled that I don't have to take this one back to the library.

       But it does point out a dichotomy in my personality. I'm fascinated with history, though I dislike humans as a species. And what is history but the actions of humans over time? I'm riveted by old photos of places: buildings, vehicles, scenery, yet  less interested in people sitting for portraits, though their clothes are worth noticing. It's ironic that I don't spend time "going down memory lane" in my own life, nor looking at old photos of my own, unless I'm concentrating on an animal in one. I suppose it's because my own life has been extremely dull as well as painful, so I have no wish to be reminded. Antique pictures allow room for the imagination to explore & explain.

       I never have wanted to exist in any time period but my own, since "the good old days" were good to no one but white males. And even they were powerless against wars and diseases. Through reading & pictures, one can indulge in the adage "it's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there."

Comments (7)

  • I like history, too.
    Thank you for your words of support on my recent post.

  • The archtecture of the past is more concerned with beauty and less with the bottom line and that makes it lovely and fascinating.

  • Aw, shucks... thanks for the vote of confidence.  I am terrified actually!  I haven't been to school in over 10 yrs!  I am all kinds of flumoxed over this. 

  • I can't believe that you have been a member of Xanga since 2003 and I haven't yet met you.  Cleveland is my hometown and I've written a lot about the city....A great deal as a matter of fact.

    We are now living in Florida and have been for 20+ years.  There are a lot of things I miss about Cleveland but...I don't miss the cloudy skies.

    I post protected.  If you want to read me, let me know.  Message me. I graduated from Rhodes in 1952.  Husband graduated from West Tech in '49.

    Maybe you don't want to read someone as old as I am,  On the other hand, we seniors do have a lot of first-hand knowledge of recent history.

    Fran

  • I dont think I would like to live in another time period,,unless I could be really rich and have servants !!! I'm to spoiled to electricity and washers and dryers. I would need some one else to beat my clothes on a rock for me !!!

  • I'm debating buying a used copy of "Casting Off from Boothbay Harbor" written in 1948. But that is only because the seller says there is some water damage.

    Unlike you I am still aching for the slides dad took. The ones that will be destroyed by mom leaving them in improper storage.

  •  I keep all my family photos stored carefully, I just don't look at them often.

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