Toe in the Water

That History Thing Again

That History Thing Again

I have said before that, if it’s happened within my memory, it’s not history. So, for instance, the second world war is history, but the death of Buddy Holly isn’t. And it’s a working definition for me, at least.

But today I have realised that there’s more to it than that. There is a sense in which I become the history in my lifetime. My memory is the storehouse of all that I experience and, as such, it’s an historical document (note the use of “an” before a word beginning with H - even that’s a matter of history). It is so because it is a source for written history. If I write about my experiences, including stuff I just hear or read about in news reports, I am writing history. Once I’ve done that, historians can include it with memoirs from other people living in the same period and so construct what becomes the official history.

But it remains true that historians should beware creating histories while survivors remain to refute the attempt at rationalisation. It’s hard to deny the fellow who stands up and says, “That just ain’t so - I know because I was there!”


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