It occurred to me recently to question how long it would
take to relay or teach just the last one hundred years of history. Obviously,
the amount of detail in the telling would be the driving force, so if I set the
Detail Dial to everything that has
happened in the last one hundred years, then the first glance answer is one hundred
years. Like re-watching a movie, right? Hit rewind and play. A century long
Netflix and chill evening. Sorry, but no.
The answer is actually forever.
It would take until the End of Time to relay everything that has happened in
just the last one hundred years.
First, you must recount the daily life of every human living
within that time frame. The estimated human population in 1950 alone was
2,516,000,000 according to my in-depth three second Google search. We’re
pushing 7,400,000,000 now, minimum. So, take every human on the planet from January
1st, 1916 to January 1st, 2016 and start recounting his
or hers every thought and deed. When you’re done that, then you can start recounting
the actions of the trillions and trillions of non-humans roaming the planet. Animal life, microbial life, plant life
and all the little buggers that don’t want to fit into any category. From
Kingdom to Species up and down the chart. And then, once you’re done that, you
can start on all the inorganic matter
in constant flux. Start with water, then perhaps move to, oh, the movement of
the continents. Then head to the moon and the planets and the rest of the
Universe when you get done counting water molecules. Here’s where I hope you’re
recognizing The Infinite Within The Finite
paradox and how YOU are part of it. So, before you read any more of this piece,
sit back and enjoy your multilayered slice of infinity. Think about the infinite
aspect of existence and what it means to your very finite time as a living
human.
The above is part of how I view existence, and part of why I
find the study of history worthy of my time. When you have an infinite well to
draw from, you never fear losing the “Oh wow!” or “Why didn’t I know that!”
moments. Those wonderful instants when the thrill of discovery makes you
remember the world is really an amazing place that shouldn’t be taken for
granted.
Therefore, moving forward I’m going to make a concentrated
effort to share stories of our fellow humans (my apologies if you are not
human) who favored me with an “Oh wow!” moment. Please don’t assume you’ll find
the usual suspects of culture shaking creators, politicians, or explorers. Some
may take the stage from time to time in forms you may not expect, but I’m
generally more interested in the people who don’t make the history books.
People who, in hindsight, changed the world in some way by simply living their
lives.
Who knows? Maybe the future will look back and discover you
are one of those people.
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| Mind=Blown. My thanks to the creator of this meme, whomever you are. |
