Maple Leaf is offically the tartan of Canada

[CDNSushi]

I beg your pardon; as someone who teaches "in the books history", and used to work in a museum, I take exception at your comments, sir. Good history is a well-told story, and we tried our best to make history come alive with the aid of our resources.

T.

Todd, I agree with you completely -- good history is a well-told story. One of the best tellers of history I actually stumbled across only by accident. It was at the Japanese underground naval HQ built into the hills of Okinawa, and an active serviceman (with the U.S. Marines) was taking some people through the museum and doing an amazing job explaining and recounting some of the things that happened during the war. He looked like he was only about a quarter my age, but yet knew more about those historical events and dates better than I could ever hope.

By the same token though, neither would I take exception to Chirs's comments. I would say he represents the thousands of people who probably had a very negative experience with history books and museums. They may not have had high school history teachers who were so on fire about their favourite subject that they brought every date, event, and battle to vivid life in their classrooms. I did! And for that I am grateful and count myself lucky.

Many people have an automatic "shut-off switch" when it comes to certain topics... For my wife that's mathematics. For many it's history. They have a hard time getting over the negative feelings they may have felt during their formative years and rather than taking offense, why not try to change their minds?

[macwilkin]

Todd, I agree with you completely -- good history is a well-told story. One of the best tellers of history I actually stumbled across only by accident. It was at the Japanese underground naval HQ built into the hills of Okinawa, and an active serviceman (with the U.S. Marines) was taking some people through the museum and doing an amazing job explaining and recounting some of the things that happened during the war. He looked like he was only about a quarter my age, but yet knew more about those historical events and dates better than I could ever hope.

By the same token though, neither would I take exception to Chirs's comments. I would say he represents the thousands of people who probably had a very negative experience with history books and museums. They may not have had high school history teachers who were so on fire about their favourite subject that they brought every date, event, and battle to vivid life in their classrooms. I did! And for that I am grateful and count myself lucky.

Many people have an automatic "shut-off switch" when it comes to certain topics... For my wife that's mathematics. For many it's history. They have a hard time getting over the negative feelings they may have felt during their formative years and rather than taking offense, why not try to change their minds?

Believe you me, I understand what you're saying, and I do try almost every day to make history come alive for my students (and before that, the visitors to the battlefield where I worked) -- history was and is both avocation and vocation for me, so it is easy to take umbrage when someone makes such a blanket statement about something that means so much to me. I would hope that Chirs would consider that some of us make our living and attempt to share our passions through history, and while I am sincerely sorry for his experiences, we are all not like that. He would be welcome in one of my classes any day and I hope I would change his mind.

T.

[Chirs]

I beg your pardon; as someone who teaches "in the books history", and used to work in a museum, I take exception at your comments, sir. Good history is a well-told story, and we tried our best to make history come alive with the aid of our resources.

T.

Sorry. I will punish myself

[ThistleDown]

And proud to say that John Labatt's first "Chief Engineer" was my mother's Dad - Charlie Few.

When Grampa was in hospital, John came to visit him and asked him what he needed. He said he probably would need a cane, so John said, "Here - take mine; I'll lean on the chauffeur on the way out." So sitting across from me right now is the cane that belonged to John Labatt - and my Grampa.

Thank you for that, Father, especially "grampa"

[macwilkin]

Sorry. I will punish myself

My apologies if I was a bit thin-skinned, but I am very proud of the work I spent on two degrees in history, plus my various professions in the historical field, from National Park Service Ranger to History Instructor. Not only is it my avocation, it is how I provide for my family -- so when someone makes a comment about it, I can sometimes get on my ear.

T.

[Dale Seago]

TBy the same token though, neither would I take exception to Chirs's comments. I would say he represents the thousands of people who probably had a very negative experience with history books and museums. They may not have had high school history teachers who were so on fire about their favourite subject that they brought every date, event, and battle to vivid life in their classrooms. I did! And for that I am grateful and count myself lucky.

I was one of those unfortunates you describe. Dry texts, equally dry teachers, everything seemed to be just lists of names, dates, events, and why should I care?

Only much after my college years did I begin running across books whose authors made me aware that there were real people, and real and fascinating stories about these events, involved.

[Andrew M. Stewart]

I beg your pardon; as someone who teaches "in the books history", and used to work in a museum, I take exception at your comments, sir. Good history is a well-told story, and we tried our best to make history come alive with the aid of our resources.

T.

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

[Andrew M. Stewart]

Wasn't this thread supposed to be about Canada's peanut butter and jam tartan??

[macwilkin]

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

I'm not sure I know what to make of this statement; I do hope you're not imply that I would personally do that.

T.

[Andrew M. Stewart]

I'm not sure I know what to make of this statement; I do hope you're not imply that I would personally do that.

T.

No not at all, a wise old (intoxicated) man once told me that...... All I said in reply to him was: go to bed Dad, your smashed.