Thoughts by Richard Bleil
Today I had an interesting conversation through comments on a post on my social media network. A new friend of mine, the wife of a former student, is trying to become a social influencer in fashion (as I understand it; you can check out the blog for affordable fashion and home decor at https://www.instagram.com/lifeofmama_deboer/ ). Today, she posted a photo of herself in thigh-high boots. Of course, it looked quite familiar to me, as I really am old enough to recall the sixties, so I couldn’t help but put in a comment saying, “Throwback Thigh Highs”.
Of course, she is too young to remember, but these were in fashion in the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s. Oh, sure, the material is different, but they’re very similar. A lighthearted banter followed, eventually touching on a subject on which I had blogged in the past, namely paying attention to what is happening around you. News today is history tomorrow. For me, I didn’t research thigh-highs, but I do remember them.
For example, it will not be long until school children begin asking their parents about the plague of 2020. Sure, pictures will show people wearing masks, and history books might talk about the social divide that it created (they should, actually), but the first-hand account will be missing. There’s a distinct difference between a history book talking about the statistics of canceled and scaled Thanksgiving dinners, but the human aspect of the fear for loved ones, and the human cost of my friend and his daughter canceling his parent’s visit can only be told in person. There are people today in this country who literally want to see a new civil war. They’ve seen the photos, they know of the death toll, but we’ve lost the firsthand accounts of the pain of loved ones returning without limbs, or not returning at all.
I’m getting older. Well, it’s an improvement since typically I just flat out say that I’m old, but I’m definitely getting up there. It’s interesting to watch as things evolve and come back around to where they have already been. When we invaded Afghanistan, I remembered the Soviet occupation, a force every bit comparable to ours unable to control the country and sending body bags back to families for a decade. While my friends were blinded with nationalistic pride insisting that we would be heralded as heroes and having the situation under control in months, I was predicting a protracted conflict. I truly wish I was wrong, but history shows that unfortunately I was not.
There is so much happening right now that will be of interest in the future. Like him or not, the Trump administration has been a source of great debate and division which will be of historical significance. I suspect that the reduction of pollution regulations and opening of public lands for fossil fuel exploration will be a subject of great debate in the near future. As weather systems are becoming increasingly brutal, and citizens are becoming increasingly fractured, and our economic future becomes less certain the history of tomorrow will be incredible.
The thought of being the historical narrator of the future puts a different perspective on the events of the day. Personally, I enjoy watching the world around me, the intricacies of international relations, the concerns and development of people. This was a pretty simple example of the history of fashion, and I certainly didn’t write down notes. I just remembered the style, and without warning had the opportunity to bring it up. And believe me, if you knew me at all, you would know that I am anything but a fashion guru. In fact, I’m kind of the black hole of fashion, the place where fashion crawls off to die. But it was fun being able to share my memories with my friend.
I truly hope you enjoy watching history being made and being part of the history being created. I’m encouraged that we just had an election with more people participating than ever before in history. Just by the fact that you’re still with me in this rambling and nonsensical post tells me that you are a reader, and I hope that you are reading the news which enriches your history even more. But, if you read the news, be sure to read a variety of news sources, and be honest with yourself on the bias of your news sources. I’ve written earlier on bias in news (and the inevitability of such). This is why I read from a variety of sources with different biases, some liberal and some conservative, national and international sources all because I know that the truth must be in there somewhere. But whatever you do, I hope that your observations today enrich your days tomorrow.
Bleil's Banter 