Gearing up for school

For some who don't know, I've decided to major in History. I know that many of you are thinking, "What the heck?! History? I thought you hated history!" Yes...I did. I used to hate history because I didn't see a reason for knowing dates and times and places, up until I started to look at the world around me and realized that it's through history's eyes that we'll see the future. History isn't boring when you look at the lives of those that lived it. I think about my grandfather, who was a B-17 pilot in WWII. There are those that lived history, and made it.

I remember those days sitting with grandpa, listening to stories of daring raids on Berlin, landing on abandoned, bomb-cratered runways, or the time that he landed his plane with three of the four engines out (he later received the Distinguished Flying Cross for it, 50 years after the fact). When I was young I used to sleep on the couch in his office while our family visited them. The walls are lined with paintings of B-17s, various medals he received, and old black and white photographs of him in his uniform and his crew by his side, all looking on as the 23 year old pilot lead the men into the heat of battle. There is even a model of a B-17 hanging from the ceiling, it's sleek silver fuselage broken up by holes where guns stuck out in defense of the bomber. These are what I slept under. This is where I learned that history isn't boring, it's part of a life that someone once lived.

This last year has taught me that there are those that are going to make history, those that will stand back and watch it be made, and then there are those that will learn from it and plan for the future.

I signed up for my classes the other day, and looked at the books that are required for my classes. I have to say, I don't think I've ever been this excited to go back to school. I've got 14 required readings, and, well, let's just say they are pretty awesome!

I'm taking 5 classes: Asian Civilization Traditions, Latin America Civilization to 1820, Classical Middle East Civilizations, US History to 1877, and finally, the History of Technology. For instance, some of the books I'll be reading are: Analects, by Confucius, the Bhagavad-Gita, and translated Sanskrit plays! On top of that, I'll be reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, so yeah, this is going to be a great semester! Yes that was a lot of exclamation points, but I wanted to convey my excitement. :)