I Speak to You of Preserving Our Past - Our History

A while ago, I wrote this article in hope of gaining support and interest in all towns and cities Historical Societies. Most are non-profit, many without aid from their own cities and towns. As I see more and more artifacts, buildings and structures from the past torn down, demolished or closed due to lack of interest or financial support of the citizens or city officials, I knew it time to do whatever I was able to stop this insanity. 

This feeling of discontent has been growing and festering inside of me for the last few years and I know of no better way to release such negativity than to express my personal feelings on Preserving our History than to speak openly to you.

I’ve seen historic railroad depots, magnificently adorned downtown hotels, eloquent, exquisite residences of the past fall prey to devastation, ruin and removal at the hands of local or state government.  It breaks my heart to see these once loved and adored remnants of our past make way for sleek, shiny fast food restaurants or the hard pavements of concrete parking lots.

Towns have decided that history be thrown under the bus and the past has no meaning or purpose in our future.  The beauty of the past, the work performed through such great toil by the hands of our ancestors discarded in a blink of the eye.

However, do we not learn from our past? Does it not bring appreciation of the leaps and bounds we as a country have made via technology? How may we measure ourselves as a town, a city, a state or a country if we have no comparison? Is it not a censorship of what we once were as, in the name of progress, we destroy our history?

I was not a great student of history nor was I interested in preservation until recently when I had the opportunity to actually visit historical sites, browse through letters, view earlier period clothing and photos of those who lived before me. It opened my eyes to appreciation of their lives through stories of heartache, great love and more importantly, social presence.

How far our nation has come from the days of old when women had not rights. What glorious bounds we’ve taken from the time race placed you in a specific social class.  How miraculous the discovery of so many medical techniques and remedies. How sad the stories, in hand written script, of the mothers who lost their children at such an early age to disease. Let alone the tales of desperation and heartache of the wives whose husbands were lost to war.

Then there are the tales of long-term relationships between a man and a woman, working together as partners with such great love, overcoming all obstacles. The love letters of the past touch our very souls and hearts.

It is all about, learning, evolving and growing from our past which without we would have no comparison.

Take your children, your families, your mate or partner on a visit to your local museum, historical buildings or society while they are still in existence. If you don’t want your history to die, call your local or state legislature and let them know that the past reflects what we have become as a nation.

And if you have an extra bit of funds, give to your local historical society, for without these people who volunteer their time and efforts, history will become a thing of the past. Volunteer, become a member, go to their functions and remember, you, your family, your friends, your home, furnishings, clothing will one day be a part of history.

Monica M. Brinkman,

Author,poet,columnist,radio host