The World As We Know It

The story of the world, as we know it, was handed down from our ancestors to the generations that followed. But for some diverse reasons, many generations have become so numb and oblivious to the stories that are told over and over. The transmission of historical knowledge has come to a gradual and detrimental halt as a result of the deaf ears of the following generations. In the course of time, the crucial episodes of our ancestors' stories have long been forgotten and erased in our memory. And now, history is slowly unfolding and repeating itself, but no one appears to understand, as to why or how these series of events seem to be happening so quickly. No one had to indulge in blame games, if only we knew the cause and effect of history.

Everybody has their own unique set of issues to deal with. But have we not come to the realization, that despite the fact that each of our problems in life is unique, they are all interconnected? And while there are untold pieces of history, isn't our current story really a retelling of the past? Why do certain members of the current age seem so cut off from the past? Is history not so significant, when occurrences in the modern era  appears to be influenced by what happened in the past?

History has never been my thing. In high school, we covered that subject frequently, yet, every time we did, the mere thought of it made me drowsy. What could we expect from tepid listeners, maybe, given that our teacher wasn't as eager to discuss that subject?

I was mistaken in my belief that whatever happened to my ancestors would never happen to me, at least not until I decided to intentionally change my mindset, as well as my own life in order, to break a vicious cycle. Even if I still tell my son about my past, it's never in vain, because I also share with him other lessons about how I dealt with my past. And my son will probably be able to overcome his own challenges with great success, now that he knows about my history.

Whether we all agree or not, our ancestors deserve gratitude for giving us life today. It is thanks to them that we are who we are in this modern period. Some of our ancestors have made their imprint on the prosperous heritage that their current generations are now lavishing on. But some of our ancestors didn't perform well in their age and didn't take the required steps to improve, which is now causing problems for the current generations.

In the world in which we all live, history is never truly just a thing of the past; rather, it serves as a constant reminder of the present, of lessons to be learned, of what needs to be fixed in order to break a vicious cycle, and prepare the next generations to take on the challenge head-on. Therefore, retelling of our history becomes so compelling, only when they are told with so much fervor, and conviction of offering the new generations the insights necessary, to resolve certain issues of all levels: be it personally, collectively, nationally, and globally.

If bringing about a conscious change in ourselves takes time, how much more for managing bigger and more complex issues? Managing larger and convoluted issues requires the collaboration of all amiable, active, dynamic, idealistic, and creative minds of like-minded people. Moreover, many passed down misinformation have to be unlearned, and numerous untold realities have to be relearned.

Knowing the past enables us to face life directly, make the required positive changes, and bring a conclusion to what must come to an end. Although we have all admitted and accepted that our ancestors made numerous mistakes in the past, we now have the opportunity to make up for them, for the benefit of not just the present generation but also many generations to come.