There were many people who did amazing things throughout history. But, sadly, because events and names weren't written down, they are lost to us. It is as if they never existed then though they might have actually changed the world. Over time, even if a tale is retold and given from generation to generation, things change with each telling. Instead of saying that a man who had done something extraordinary who also had an extra finger, he, over there years, gets an extra arm or has two heads. Things become warped and they aren't what really happened. This can partially be said for the written word. Second hand accounts or those from someones memory can become faulty. Our recollection is skewed by our emotions or the heat of the moment.I often think of cop shows where they ask someone to give a description of the bad guy they saw during an armed robbery or something. They give those witnesses over to a sketch artist and amazingly the witness give a very good description of the guy the police are looking for. I know if I had to talk to a sketch artist, I wouldn't be able to do as good a job as the witnesses on cop shows. I can hardly recall the face of the man I was helping three minutes ago. Was he bald? Short light hair? Was his jacket blue or black....? I think he had a big nose. If he were to come back, I'd probably be very wrong.
As we look back in history though, unless they were rich and had a portrait made of them, we don't know what they looked like exactly. The tapestries found in medieval castles weren't of individual people with every person's name on it. How often in the past did they even have all the names of each soldier in their ranks on a piece of paper? I have a feeling there were more numbers listed instead of all of the family names.
I'm also aware of the practice "Damnatio memoriae" where peoples names were erased. As Wikipedia points out, it was much easier to do anciently when documents were fewer and far between. Here you could blot out the name with ink on every registry they were a part of or chisel their names from the family stone tablet or memorial. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, they do this to Sirius when they thought he did wrong.The idea that history is written through the eyes of the victors isn't something new. It is something every historian is aware of. Only half the story is being told and often times it is written through shaded lenses to show the victors as the most angelic person in the world--often times, though not all. This historiography is something that has become big among historians within the last few decades, if not longer; to not only take what is written on the page but what is between the lines of text that explains the reasoning behind why the author is writing it.
My point of thought that led me on this rampage is something that I've thought on a lot. In my own writings, I've written about it through as many different views in trying to understand what happened. Sadly, the incident that has shaped my life and the lives of many around me, isn't something easy to talk about. Though I always find a way to discuss it in the month of October. Not only did the month and anniversary of the accident get me starting to think again, but another, very similar, accident happened just a few weeks ago where.
On Sept 19, 2016, there was a charter bus crash in North Carolina that took the lives of four members of the University of God's Chosen football team.This is awful and sad and awfully sad. Not many people know what it's like to survive a bus crash or how it affects those around you. I don't know what it is like to survive a bus crash, but I have seen how it has effected many of my friends. There boys in North Carolina will be going through some very trying years following this. PTSD will come in at times and change the way they see things. Next time they see flashing lights they may have panic attacks or suddenly freeze. Some may try cutting or even attempt suicide now that the survivor's guilt has kicked in, which doesn't take long. Many more may hide in shells and pretend like nothing happened until they can't take it anymore and crack; they will be found lying face down, still breathing, but aching and wishing they could melt into the carpet or tile. Their friends won't know what to do. We don't know what to do. My deepest sympathies and empathizes go out to those football players, family, friends, and everyone else around them.
My own story (actually it's not really mine. I was a bystander, which makes it hard as well as some people don't realize) starts on October 10th, 2009. On a return trip from a marching band competition, My high school lost a teacher and friend that night when a bus overturned and the instructor was thrown from the window saving the rest of the students. I never knew Heather, but I am grateful for her sacrifice and love to help keep my friend safe. Miracles were performed that night through little things and big hearts. It was amazing; in the few days that followed the accident, marching bands from all over the country sent flowers, cards, and other notes of love, hope, wishes, and prayers were sent to the school. They had so much support from outside that I don't anyone really expected.Their program that year was based originally on the "Greatest Generation" (also something I talked about recently) and their sacrifice for our freedoms. They dedicated their program to her and added a beautiful moment when they presented her picture. She was part of the "Greatest Generation" though she was born decades late.
There were so many things that happened around that time. It has been seven years since the accident. There have been so many changes in people and circumstances since it happened. But still there are many who can't speak about it. Can't read about it. Can't write about it. Over the years, I know they've tried, some have been able to get through the whole night but their words are cold and distant. Others can't get past certain points where it just stops. I realize that some memories are harder to digest than others. Some can throw you back into those moments of anxiety or stress. That loss that sinks deep in your stomach and plummets you into the deepest part of the sea. You can't breathe because the depression fills your lungs, head, and heart with invisible water.
I'm not saying to force yourself down those roads if it will cause you to do something reckless. I'm not saying to write and read about the experience over and over again so then you force yourself to feel something when you are the numbest you've been in months/years. There are better ways to cope that would be best told to you by a counselor.
But what I am saying is when you get to the point, whatever or whenever that moment is, share it. There are so many others out there that are hurting from similar circumstances, you'd really be surprised, and they can use some encouragement. They need your voice to realize, they aren't alone. Maybe you are in the boat where you need to find other's voices, search. Find the words. Make your own to help others. Other people know how to give CPR when it comes to tragedies because they've been there. They can help you breath, purge the water from your lungs, from your heart. Then you can learn how to do it too.
But don't only speak of it. Write it down so then it's not forgotten. Journaling or essay or blog. There are many ways to influence others. Elizabeth Smart is one of the best examples that I have of this idea. She was kidnapped when I was little, when she was little. The was abused by her kidnapper and was finally found nine months later. But now she is married, which many would have understood her not doing so because of what she experienced, and is a motivational speaker for women who have been abused, for women who have been raped or molested. She empowers women in her words and her book, My Story. She has made changes to the world around her so than girls who have been through similar circumstances that she has don't have to go through it alone. They don't have to feel like they are nothing because they were raped. They can feel like powerful women who don't have to remain victims all their lives. They can move forward, move on, and help others to breathe.And you can do it too. For future generations as well as those who are around you currently. Speak. Write. Gather your courage and face it with the help of those around you, counselors if necessary.
Everyone has a story to tell. Write it down. Anyone can be a positive influence and make the best out of a bad situation.
Pictures by:
Books: http://whytoread.com/world-history-books-everyone-must-read/
Sirius: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
North Carolina Bus: http://www.kxlh.com/story/33124380/10-year-old-son-of-football-coach-among-dead-in-nc-bus-crash
Heather: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/charges-possible-in-american-fork-band-bus-crash/article_7356f13b-3557-5403-9124-b1e56366dea0.html
Elizabeth Smart: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Smart_kidnapping
