The Eternal Scholar

I wasn’t sure about entering this challenge at first. In large part, because in some ways I am already doing the job I imagine myself doing in any time period. That is being a writer and historian. But while talking with a couple of friends earlier today through Facebook comments, I became inspired to explore this idea more. While also exploring the implications of what it would be like to be a historian and writer in other time periods, and tie in an earlier thought I had a couple months ago.

Why a writer and historian you may ask?

The reality is that ever since I learned how to read and write, I’ve always loved telling stories. Well, if I’m being honest, I liked telling them before that, but it wasn’t as easy to pass them along. That’s because I was a late bloomer when it came to reading and writing. The unfortunate reality is that I didn’t get up to my grade level until about halfway through fourth grade. It’s never been clear why that was. I was never diagnosed with a learning disability. I suspect some of it had to do with the instability in my early life. But nonetheless, I got there.

Now that I think about it, the story telling bug bit me quite early. One of my fondest memories from my early childhood is when I made some, well let’s call them Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan fiction books, and stood outside my apartment and tried to sell them to anyone walking by. Yes, I realize now that this violates copyright law. But when you’re five, you don’t know that.

But let’s get back to the main focus of the challenge, and that earlier thought.

Here’s the unfortunate reality that I realized back in April while watching The Woman King.

You do not exist without writers. Whether they are historians, journalists, anthropologists, or any other profession that focuses on writing. No human society exists without someone to tell their story. After this thought first occurred to me, I began thinking about how some societies have or had a system where someone would be trained to do a particular task or job from a young age. And from this thought, I began thinking about how certain societies became hyper focused on one task. A great example of this is ancient Sparta, who as most of the world knows, was a society focused on its military prowess, to the detriment of all other things.

However, luckily for us writers and historians, they were surrounded by other societies that were a little more balanced. And thus, that is the main catalyst for how we know: the Spartan’s did in fact exist, what they called themselves(Lacedaemonian), and what their culture was like. Or at least what their culture was like according to their neighbors, who may more may not have been motivated to tell the truth, the whole truth, so help them Zeus.

So how did I arrive at the answer I did for this quandary?

Well, to quote myself in regards to the recent challenges presented by Vocal, which I’m sure is in bad taste according to some other scholar(we like to fight amongst ourselves),

“I’ve seen a lot that lately that I wanted to enter, felt inspired by, but haven’t had the time. I think the only one that didn’t was the ‘what would be your past life occupation’ one. Because, in my head, all I could think was ‘guys, it's the same answer as what I’m trying to do now.’ Being a full time author and/or historian would be the best. It doesn’t matter what time period I’m in. Granted, in our current age I have access to better sources, materials, and technology( my handwriting isn’t great, so I prefer typing anything I write). But that would be ideal.”

So, what time period would I go to you may ask?

Answering that is a task in itself. Despite not being super attached to most technology, my computer after all is often more of an at home research library or glorified typewriter, and I could replace my phone with anything else that plays music( Where’s my bard?! It’s time for my daily writings.) It’s hard to say which time period I would live in. But if forced to choose, I’d have to say the late 1950s to 1960s.

Why this period?

There’s just enough technology to make my job easier, but the world isn’t as connected as it is now. Thus, there was more freedom to be yourself without the world peering in through the virtual window. I would say that there were so many things going on that were of great historical significance, but I know this is untrue.

Why is this untrue?

Because there are always events of great historical significance happening around us everyday if you have the eyes to see them. And that is why being a historian and writer would be great in any period.

Whether you’re a medieval Muslim scholar dissecting the meaning of ancient Greek text to develop new mathematical equations. Or a wiseman in a far off unknown society. Sitting around the campfire telling the children of how your people conquered the Tuanarangi and destroyed their dragons because your god, Bartholomew, told you the land was yours for the taking. This would be the best job to have.

And while that last part may sound silly, here’s the reality. The further back you go, the more history and myth merge until they are one. History is a story we tell ourselves, about ourselves, to make sense of the world in our short time here. And like everything else in the world, it only exists in our minds.

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