Living history. It's actually one of the most important aspects of history we have. Plus, it makes history come alive. No longer a dull, boring subject based on dates which mean nothing. Instead, it is vibrant, pulsating with life. The one dimensional figures of the past become three dimensional and stand before us as individuals who are stripped of idolization or stigmas which liken them to gods or demons. Living history is more than just historical figures, wars, economics. or religion. It is the recollections, memories, stories, actions, and lives of the people who left these to us; to learn and grow from, and most importantly, to remember.
So, why am I talking about this? Well, you see on October 10, 2013, Scott Carpenter died. Who? Scott Carpenter, one of the Mercury 7. The Mercury 7? Yes, the Mercury 7, the first seven men to be picked bu the United States as astronauts. These seven men were the first in the United States to ride out of the Earth's atmosphere on top of a, well let's face it, a firecracker. Yeah, a rocket called Mercury. Okay, Scott Carpenter was a member of the Mercury 7. He was an astronaut, an American hero. Even more important, he is the second American astronaut to circle the Earth, after John Glenn. There's more though. You see, Scott didn't have a good time. Nope, he almost became our first casualty. Yeah, important. He was to be in space for five hours doing scientific experiments including eating solid food in space. Scott is the first astronaut to do that! However, there was a little problem. In performing the experiments there was a bit of fuel overexpenditure of fuel. Right, not to good. Well, he was able to save an amount of fuel to help him get home, but then when he was moving into position for re-entry the pitch horizon scanner decided to malfunction. Scott took control manually and found himself overshooting the landing zone by 250 miles. Now comes NASA trying to find him. They didn't even know if he had survived. After searching for 40 minutes, they found him, in his life raft, safe and healthy. Three hours later, the USS Intrepid arrived to recover him.
It's right here that living history takes over for me. I knew the man who was first to reach Scott. Yep, his name was John, and he jumped into the Atlantic in full scuba gear to bring Scott Carpenter on board. You should have heard John and his wife, Carla tell their stories about this event. John was a fantastic story teller. He made you feel and see what he did. I loved it when he told Rick and I his tales of his life in the military. When he died, Rick was devastated for John had made Rick feel like family. You see that is what is wonderful about living history; you become a part of their family and they become a part of you. Your interest in their lives is more than just curiosity. You now can share their stories and memories as well. There is a continuance which does not falter for it is now a part of history and lives on.
This is just one example of living history. Not all have to do with something this significant, but they still impact us and the future with their stories. I met a woman who was 88 years old and was attending Eckerd College to receive her Bachelor's Degree. We were in the same class, and I sat down next to her. We were taking Russian Cinema together and she was great. One night we were discussing the events of World War II in Russia and our professor asked her what memories she had. She went on to tell us all about December 7th, 1941. Pearl Harbor. It was a day burnt in her mind. She remembered what she was doing, wearing, what her family members were doing, and hearing the radio announcer tell them all that Pearl Harbor had been bombed by the Japanese. Since I was sitting next to her, I saw her eyes water up, the quiver in her voice, and impact that event had on her life was transported to me and to everyone else in that room. My professor, Sergei, listened and nodded as she poured this all out onto the rest of us, who had not even been born or would not be born until 20 years or more later. Yes, we all learned that day just what Pearl Harbor had been like for those who were thrust into a war which would change all our lives forever. A day, a morning, a moment which was burnt into the memories of those living in the United States forever.
By the way, she graduated and walked to get her degree with her two daughters and grandchildren looking on. I really looked up to her and realized right then and now the only thing that can stop you from achieving your dreams is yourself. Living history. Living today to live tomorrow and history prepares us for these steps. Seize the day. Seize the moment. Seize the living history and forge a path to reach your future.
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