The Friday Five: Looking Back

[smallhobbit]

It's presidents' day in the US, so in honour of the long weekend thefridayfive posed these questions, which I am answering although not in the US!

1. Have you ever been the president of anything?
No, although I am Treasurer and Trustee of Gloucestershire Bundles, a charity which is needed even more these days.

2. What do you think is the most important leadership trait?
Ability to listen to all sides, keep the differing views together as far as possible and still get things done.

3. What time period did you find the most interesting to learn about in history class?
I didn't like history at school, but now find it fascinating.  Over the last few years I've taken several free online courses on history, with an emphasis on European history and how everything connects, but also events worldwide.  The more I learn, the more there is to find out.

4. What's something you think about doing, but you haven't gotten back into in several years?
Drawing/artwork.  A few years ago J gave me a box of hard pastels which I enjoy drawing with, but don't seem to have the time.

5. If you could add one more random holiday to February, what would it be?
Stay Indoors and Keep Warm and Dry Day

Comments

[meridian_rose]

You're doing important work :)

There's so much history to look at. I remember only a few things from school and have learnt more over the years from reading fiction and some nonfiction, watching tv/movies, and quiz shows that make me go and read up on things, as well as visiting locations like castles and churches that give historical context.

I hope you do get back to drawing at some point ♥

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. I read things in fiction and then move onto non-fiction when I want to know more. Yes, my problem really is that there aren't enough hours in the day - even though I'm retired!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Stay Indoors and Keep Warm and Dry Day ha ha ha ha. We had a couple of inches of snow last night so it must be today here!

[smallhobbit]

That seems like a very good move. No snow here, just rain!

[aome]

I find myself wondering what #4 has to do with President's Day, lol.

Like you, I didn't like history in school but I find myself more interested now. I think what I really hated was having to memorise dates. I'm great at memorising dates that pertain to me or people I know (birthdays, anniversaries, etc) but ask me the date The Battle of X took place? No idea. :-P

What does Gloucestershire Bundles do?

[smallhobbit]

Gloucestershire Bundles is a 'baby bank', which is like a food bank only provides for families in need with items for their children. We provide for pregnant women and families with children up to age 16, and give out clothing, bedding, equipment of all sorts, toiletries, toys and books. Gloucestershire Bundles

A quick google search found The Baby Bureau which may give you an idea of what's happening Stateside.

[delphi]

Count me in on not having liked history at school but now finding it fascinating. It was just...so much war of 1812. Grades 4-9, nothing but the War of 1812 and a smattering of early colonization and WWI, until I finally managed to get into an elective course my senior year of high school.

[smallhobbit]

Agricultural revolution, industrial revolution, French revolution and dates, dates, dates. Nothing about people. Now I'm fascinated by it.

[delphi]

That's a really great point. The lack of information about people was probably what had me uninterested in history class but reading a lot of historical fiction as a kid. I remember lots of timelines and maps from class, sometimes architecture and economics, but little about individual figures and almost nothing about how regular people lived.

I feel like a lot of Canadians of my generation retained a lot more historical knowledge from Heritage Minutes (a series of one-minute documentaries that used to play during commercial breaks on television), and while part of that is the medium, I think another big part was having human narratives to hang the times and places on.

[shaddyr]

Oh man, I remember when the Heritage Minutes first came out. They were such cool little snippets that made historical facts feel real.

[delphi]

🍁❤️

[creepy_shetan]

Your charity sounds wonderful. ❤

I liked history all right in school, but I agree with all of you: it was so much cut-and-dry memorization. It was easy to forget about the people and culture and life going on in those textbooks. Unfortunately, sometimes that happened in my literature classes, too, to the point of ruining a book or other piece of literature we were studying.

I think my answer to Question 4 would be similar to yours. I have a sketchbook that I seem to always let get buried under other notebooks and things...

[smallhobbit]

Thank you!

Yes, history would be nothing without the people and yet too often it becomes lists of dates and inventions etc and loses the real point. I suspect the quickest way to put someone off a book is forcing them to study it, especially when its a compulsory school subject.

It would be good to do some sketching...

[shaddyr]

That charity sounds amazing! I am so grateful for people who do things like that. I was a single mom on welfare when my kids were little and if not for foodbanks and help from different charitable organizations, I don't know how we would have managed.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you so much. It's great to know what we do is appreciated.