Who Cares About History?

Don't let the title fool you. I love history. There are amazing stories. I devoured a collected work of essays about Britain's Special Operation Executive recently. But the concept of history is something I have applied to my own life. I hear a lot of people get up in arms about their heritage or where they're from. Which is fine. I hear people pine on and on about their families. Which is also fine. Me? I only really give a shit about what I did and what I've seen. 

History is not a series of facts. Facts are not written down. They're just facts. Fact: We need air to breathe so we can live. History was created because of the invention of writing. That's what separates pre-history from history. So facts have really nothing to do with the foundation of history, they just had a method of being recorded. But lies can be recorded too. They can be written or kept orally and treated as facts with no real evidence of them. Then they're part of history. Jesus wasn't born December 25th Year Zero AD. He was born, because he existed. We know he existed because there's several accounts of him. This isn't my idea or quote, but history is a series of conflicting accounts. Think of Rashomon. And if you don't know what that is watch it now. But everybody has a different view point and therefore that produces a different history. Once that nonsense is sifted then basic facts come out. 

Which is why, I don't care about my history. Not my life mind you, my history. I love my parents and I respect who they are, but beyond them in following my origin? Who cares? I'm me with my own facts and I don't have times for every set of facts and truths and histories from the males and females in my genetic line who formed me. 

Think about it like this. Two people break up. One says he's a dick, the other says she's a bitch. Each have their own facts, but from an outside perspective those facts are null and void. They're dependent on your relationship with either one. 

So at the end of the day I keep my facts and discard the others. Because I don't care and I don't have time to worry about every individual's history.