What Is History?

History is happening all around us. And not just to big important people. It's happing to you. Right now. You're making it as you read this. So what is history? 

  • History is the conversation you had at breakfast this morning; it's your last birthday party, and the fun stuff you did to celebrate; it's the amazing trip you took to Disneyland with your family.
  • History is the thing that happened to your best friend earlier today, and they're calling because they're dying to tell you about it.
  • History is the first day your mom went to school; just a little girl walking into a classroom full of other kids.
  • History is when your dad took his first driving exam and hoped he'd studied hard enough.
  • History is how your grandparents met, and what they really thought of each other in those first few moments.
  • History is your ancestors living at different times and with different tools, houses, clothing and resources, but all going through similar challenges: being a baby and learning to walk and talk, becoming a teenager, deciding what to do in life, getting married, having a family, acquiring a house or shelter, and trying to get the extra luxuries of the times within their means.
  • History can be big or small, about wars and fancy inventions, about discovering new continents or digging up old civilizations, but it's always the story of people like you and me, and their families, extended families, and friends.
  • History is fascinating because, whether it's your best friend's story of what so-and-so did, or the story of a person living in another time, you get to listen in and decide how you would've reacted faced with the same events.
  • Who knows, maybe in a thousand years your descendants will uncover your history, put themselves in your shoes, and find it spellbinding.

Scott Peters is the author of 3 adventure novels for kids. He's currently working on book 4, a sequel in the Secret Agent Zet Series.

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