The leaf!
When I was growing up (in the 50s) the Great War wasn't such distant history--it was always tied to WWII in our consciousness. An invisible string connected those cataclysms. Now, I realize that first WW is very far in the past for today's young. More than 100 years ago. I wonder how they see it? If they find it relevant at all?
Now, I realize that first WW is very far in the past for today's young. More than 100 years ago. I wonder how they see it? If they find it relevant at all?
It is hard-hard-easy question. On one hand: they dont give a flying f....k! On another hand... I am not sure - does another hand exist at all in this question :/
Right now, exactly last month, my babygirl had this topic within her History lessons (beginning of XX century, WW1, Russian revolution of 1917 etc etc etc). I feel these topics to be urgent and very important (especially in comparison with other history lessons, cause this is what affected the modern history of my poor country SO MUCH!).
I looked into her history textbook; it is frankly bad, it overloads one's mind with a flood of unnecessary names, dates, events - and deprives this entire data array of any cause-and-effect relationships, turns it into tightly compressed and difficult to understand ancient garbage, dusty noise that you want to forget as soon as possible, because.. why should you fill your head with unnecessary, irrelevant, long-dead matter?..
Another important consideration (not specifically related to our youth). Generally speaking, Russians' attitude to WW1 after it ended turned out to be different from that of other Europeans. The reason was not exactly that the war was lost and ended with the shameful separate Brest-Litovsk peace treaty with Germany. This is because WW1 was waged by Imperial Russia, the Imperial army - both were destroyed during the war and then, with the total change of the country's political structure and new Bolshevik ideology - the war was included in the category of "horrific heritage of tsarism". This war was not something to be proud of, they tried to forget it as quickly as possible. No monuments were erected to the war heroes, cemeteries with soldiers were abandoned (and even destroyed, plowed up!), etc. etc. I understand very well that one needs to know his own history, but... alas.
Wow! How narrow of me. When I asked this question I was looking at it from my point of view, from my historical perspective. Of course it's different for Russia.
Let me start this response by saying I have been fascinated with history my whole life. I even received an award at high school graduation for interest (not excellence!) in history. Your comment allows me to reach across the globe, and time, with fresh eyes. While you weren't there when it happened, you are there now and live with the consequences, as I do. Although to many people the war seems irrelevant, you and I know it changed the world.
Of all the things that came out of that war, I think the most compelling is what it teaches us about war. A monster without a master. Those European powers ambled into the conflict without a hint of where it would take them, what it would cost.
Of course I ended up teaching history, for a few years. In many cases I put aside the book with its dusty lessons. I relearned it every year, so I could teach it fresh. I tried not to be narrow in my understanding. Your comment is a reminder that narrowness is a threat no matter how careful I try to be.
Fascinating comment. Thanks @qwerrie.
I have been fascinated with history my whole life.
Me too. Never worked as a teacher, but - during recent years - I was getting thoughts that I could and even should do that > for the sake of educating students of important things. Maybe it happened exactly this way in some alternative universe with another me! at least I wish so 😄
A monster without a master.
Sic! The more I learn history, the more I am convinced that "everything goes the wrong way", always ... that people are idiots, that violence cannot build anything fruitful but only causes extra violence, etc. I want to say "people! study history better!!!" - but I understand the problem is not there - but in the fact that power and money corrupt even decent people, when they are at the top of the pyramid, they mutate irreversibly and begin to make same mistakes, as if from a scratch. meh...
Yes, the burdock leaf! :)))))
Personally, I don't like to borrow an umbrella with me (thats too much excessive weight!), and protect myself from the rain with either a cap or a windbreaker. When rain is light, I dont mind to become a little wet, and when it is heavy - then even an umbrella does not really help much, > I prefer simply not to get out at all :)
During the rain, one may take a lot of interesting photos, people actively react to what is happening, from the outside spectator position it looks funny :) someone pulls a jacket over their head, someone covers themselves with a briefcase or a large post box; and this girl managed to pick up a suitable burdock leaf at a lawn. Funny scene! Luckily, I noticed the approach of this scene in time and managed to take my photo not from behind.
The leaf is magic. I love walking in the rain, light rain. I have a hat made of treated straw, with a wide brim that works wonderfully to cover the head. Umbrellas have limited utility because there always seems to be a wind that turns them upside down. Plus they take up a hand! That's no fun :)
+++ Apparently so! I use backpack for umbrlla, but it already houses camera and 2 lenses, and a book; adding more weight is no good.
I have a hat made of treated straw, with a wide brim
a photo?..
Here is mine: this H&M cap doing its job for me the last 15 years, I think!
😂
😂
That is a well used hat
I am a hat fanatic. My family is always buying me hats because I have issues with the sun. The hats double nicely in the rain though. This one is in relatively good shape (I go through them). My favorite was from California and looked as though it might have been used by farm workers. Really stiff and a broad brim that sloped down instead of up. Not cosmetic, but useful. It unraveled eventually and I had to discard it. The one pictured here is not good in the wind because it doesn't have a draw string under the chin.
