Living History

(Originally Posted on June 18, 2007)

Every High School history student knows all about the Nazi bombings on London. The bombings are also better known as the "Blitz" and it killed over 51,000 habitants of London. I knew all about these bombings and the attack against the British during World War II. I mean.. I've read the "Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis more times than I can count. What history, and even C.S. Lewis, didn't capture was the sheer magnitude of destruction that the Blitz left behind.

Its 53 days and counting until I take flight for London. Today I bought my tickets from StaTravel at Northeastern University. They offer a great service there that I didn't know about until this year. I'm leaving on July 2nd and will be landing at Heathrow on the 3rd. I got a discount rate and now I'm in possession of a student discount card. I've been assured this is a great thing to flash around when you are trying to save money. That's my brief update before I segway into the Blitz attacks.

Its 53 days and counting. Since the day I knew I'd gotten the position in London I'd been immersed in London travel guides. As far as history goes and common knowledge I'd like to think that I have above average intelligence. I studied in High School and I tried hard. It didn't always show in my grades as I would've liked but the effort was there. Like I've said - I knew what the Blitz was and I understood on a historical level what the casualties were.

As I began reading the travel guides there were various mentions to areas of London that had been destroyed in the bombings. I don't think that I truly understood the complete consequences of these bombings. Maybe it was because in my head it was long ago and far away (though really it wasn't) but something never clicked until I read about old buildings destroyed by the bombings. The death toll is humungous as I turn around and begin to study the Blitz again.

The destruction is unthinkable in today's society especially with the way we wage wars. Today if one historic building is bombed or threatened it becomes a huge deal. In those days they lost blocks upon blocks of old English architecture and tens of thousands of people. It's inconceivable to think how far we've come since that.

It also explains much of the European need for unity even further. The European countries don't have the benefit of having the entire Atlantic Ocean, and then some, between them and their adversaries like the Americans do. Unity is the only way to ensure their safety and peace.

Where am I going with this? I was surprised that someone with my schooling and intelligence couldn't wrap my head around the pure devastation caused by the Blitz. History, to many students has always been a jumble of wars and dates. Money and power shifting back and forth and country's borders forever changing. Learning history is a way of going through the motions and getting the briefest understanding of a period of time and events. Living history is when you put yourself in the shoes of those soldiers, citizens or victims. Most everyone can empathize with those Jewish people who were persecuted and executed only because of their beliefs. It is because they have given us a window to understand the toll and the repercussions of those brutalities committed against them.

In preparing to move to London I've been studying their city as well as their culture. It is the only way that I could ever come to grasp what the real toll of WWII was for the British. I suspect I will pay my respects at the memorial for everyone and everything lost... but even more for the courage of the London habitants and the British citizens.