“I love learning that our visions of a past where people were somehow different—or worse, “better” than we are today—are utterly shattered, and everyone is just as vulgar and human as everyone today.” -- Yes, this exactly.
I’m a huge fan of Agatha Christie (despite some problems with her) because I feel like this is basically her thesis. People are always people. (And the difference between a murderer & a non-murderer is often a lot smaller than you might expect.) Anyway, I just love all this kind of thing, the tearing down of some fabricated universe in which for some reason our ancestors were simpler, less complicated, and had fewer selfish motives than anyone you’ve ever actually known.
Excellent, as always. A friend who is something of a history nerd like me has me calling our historical marker signs "brown boards" because they are always, well, brown. They are of a universal design for the most part here in Montana, but I suspect they are different depending on where you are. And they are usually only partially right as it relates to the local history; some better than others, of course. I like to read them equally to learn and also to rant about what they leave out, which is almost exclusively related to Indigenous presence.
“I love learning that our visions of a past where people were somehow different—or worse, “better” than we are today—are utterly shattered, and everyone is just as vulgar and human as everyone today.” -- Yes, this exactly.
I’m a huge fan of Agatha Christie (despite some problems with her) because I feel like this is basically her thesis. People are always people. (And the difference between a murderer & a non-murderer is often a lot smaller than you might expect.) Anyway, I just love all this kind of thing, the tearing down of some fabricated universe in which for some reason our ancestors were simpler, less complicated, and had fewer selfish motives than anyone you’ve ever actually known.
Oh, speaking of which, I kind of stumbled across the Blue Blazes Still Trail in Maryland last October -- it’s a neat place to visit if you’re ever in the area and/or would like to see the ruins of a still that was raided during prohibition. https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2010/09/marylands-catoctin-mountain-park-whiskey-still-gets-you-close-and-personal-moonshine-history6890
I can’t wait to read about the ghost taverns.
(Also, ſnooki and the ſituation? OMG. ❤️)
Excellent, as always. A friend who is something of a history nerd like me has me calling our historical marker signs "brown boards" because they are always, well, brown. They are of a universal design for the most part here in Montana, but I suspect they are different depending on where you are. And they are usually only partially right as it relates to the local history; some better than others, of course. I like to read them equally to learn and also to rant about what they leave out, which is almost exclusively related to Indigenous presence.