Yep. Right up my alley!
Sioux Falls is about a three and a half hour drive from where I live, so I left Thursday night. And I took my time, even stopping to take pictures of gorgeous scenery and landmarks that I'd never seen before. When the conference started bright and early on Friday morning, I was ecstatic. To be around other people interested in World War II? What more could a WW2 historian want?
The presentations were wonderful. They ranged from academic scholars to independent historians to those who just wished to share their experiences growing up on the farm during the war. It was a wonderful mix.
I presented on the POW camps in Nebraska during World War II and I was very happy to have a big audience. I love sharing history with others.
And of course, I also met a lot of wonderful people. I sat next to a World War II veteran at yesterday's luncheon (he served in France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia), met a scholar whom I'd only connected with online, and connected with a delightful woman whose mother worked in Washington D.C. during the war (remember my article on Mary Lou?) and will be a wonderful resource for when I finally get back to that historical novel of mine set in D.C. during the war.
When I came home last night, exhausted (and let's face it, in pain due to my wonderful fibromyalgia and RA!), I was in a fantastic mood. I loved this conference. I loved being around historians. I love the atmosphere.
As I lay in bed recovering, I began to think about what I'd learned. And one of those things was this: history is all around us. Regional and local history is incredibly important, too, and we often forget about it. Even more, each one of us can be a historian! You don't need a degree to record history. In fact, I started tweeting my thoughts and it turned into a lot more than I thought! And here it is (please ignore the location; I really don't live in Austin, Texas!):
Now go forth and make history!
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Excellent!
ReplyDeleteI've been feeling a pressing need to talk with my grandparents about their lives--they think they're boring, but they're so important!
I hope you're getting plenty of rest, but thanks for taking the time to write/tweet this.
Oh, Faith, yes! Do talk to them! Not only will they appreciate that you are taking the time to do that, but you will gain a better understanding of their lives. Enjoy! :)
DeleteIt sounds like you had an awesome time. :)
ReplyDeleteI love what you tweeted abut history - so true! Everybody has a story if only we take time to listen.
Rest up well.
Thank you, Sue! I hope it will encourage people to look at their own history differently. :)
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