Memories Lost But Not Forgotten

The things I recall from years gone bye sometimes amaze me. I'm 100% certain I'm not the only one who, usually in quiet times, remembers a situation or person from their past when there is no logical reason to do so. Seems as though these days it occurs on a daily basis. I hate to kick the proverbial dead horse but out of the blue I've come up with names from the 1950's I had no business doing. As an example, it might have been the name of a lady who served me a root beer at the A&W and I'd never seen her before or since. 

One recollection I do have took place during my first year as a high school history instructor in a hamlet called New Hartford, Iowa (pop 600). Don't ask me how I got there but it was late August of 1968 and I didn't have a job, so I'd heard about this tiny school (90 students) needing a history instructor and basketball coach. So, I applied for the job and was assigned an interview which was slated for 9 am. I happened to arrive twenty minutes early. After walking into the superintendent's office and introducing myself I sat down. The super spoke first and said, "Your appointment was slated for 9 am. You arrived twenty minutes. You're hired." Talk about being desperate for a hire.

I was assigned to instruct history classes; 10th grade Western Civilization, American History and Economics which a joke because I had trouble counting change. 

Regardless, it got to be November of that year and one day in class a student raised his hand. Do you remember how I wrote that we remember names and situations from our past and there's no particular reason for it. The student's name was Augie Blake. He was your average student and sort of a wise guy. No wait! He was he was a first-class wise guy and his question was this: "Why study history? There ain't no future in it." I thought about the words he uttered. We spent a few minutes discussing his inane comment and then I forgot about it until a couple years ago and out of nowhere my brain kicked into gear and the entire scenario re-visited me. I taught for nineteen years afterward and never once mentioned this to any of my thousands of students. I wonder why. His words would have been an excellent learning lesson for eternity.

I hope Augie is still alive. He'd be 73 years old today. I also hope he reads my blog. It'd be nice to find out how he felt about what he said He's most likely not a wiseguy. My best guess is he forgot about what he said immediately after the dismissal bell rang

Think about it. Of course, people live for today and forget the past. Do you doubt me? I'll wager a month's Social Security check 90% of people living in the world on November 12, 1918 really believed it was 'The War To End All Wars'.