History Class

History Class should be taught backwards.

Here's my reasoning.

We relate to our current time. Because we live here. The 90's are only slightly harder to relate to. The 80's slightly harder. The 70's only slightly harder than that.

What happened directly "before" "now" that caused "before" to become "now"? Once that is learned, the teacher can move back another hundred years. What happened "way before" "before" to cause "now"? How about how "way way before", "way before", "before", became "now"? Etc...

If you can read that, and understand it, I give you much credit... and 3 seconds of private iPhone groping, when/if I get my false idol.

It's just a reverse time line (Timeline... craptastic movie). Now, visualize this time line. See the end? What do you personally have in common with the average person then? This being america (notice how it's spelled wrong if you don't capitalize it? Awww. Spell check is so patriotic. It's cute.), you, the reader are probably a well dressed, educated, and financially secure. How the hell are we supposed to relate to the average rag wearing, uneducated, over taxed, oppressed people of the ancient world*.

Do you know what it feels like to be tortured because you couldn't afford to pay taxes? (Maybe, but if you have access to a computer, I doubt it.)

Does the Church (capitalized) control every aspect of your life? (No whips for me, thanks.)

Do you know the tedious discomfort of traveling for months in the belly of a ship? (Scurvy much?)

Do you know what it's like to have no way to improve your station in life? (Radishes... Radishes... Radishes... Radishes... Radishes... Radishes...)

In short, we have so little in common with those people, that I think it would be a good idea to work backwards. To empathize. To build on experiences by going down a layer at a time. Take away freedoms. Devolve.

At this point, it would become clear that "now" is not the culmination of all history. It is just a tiny yellow brick, in the never ending Yellow Brick Road to Oblivion.


One more small suggestion. Give me credit in history class for this. As I put more time and effort into it than the average assignment. Burn.



-C