Overheard in the lunch queue
Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. Since we had some VIP visitors, I didn't want to spend my limited time with them in front of the computer.
In my triumphant return to posting, let me ask you a burning question that was thrust upon me in the lunch queue on Friday: When does history become history?
I was minding my own business, really, texting my friend as I waited my turn at the Thai food stand in Whitecross Street. But I couldn't help but overhear the quartet of blokes in front of me as they were talking about the History Channel.
Bloke #1: The History Channel considers it fair game to do a programme (this is how he would have spelled it, ok?) on something that happened two weeks ago. That's how they got away with doing all that on 9/11 so quickly.
Bloke #2: That's rubbish. To me, the 17th century, that's history. Yes, anything after the 17th century is really modern times.
Bloke #3: Yes, an order of pad thai please. Yes, with chicken, please.
So is it just me, or is that a really elitist attitude to take toward history? I can't bring myself to consider a time when women were essentially forced to get married or join a nunnery "modern times." On the other hand, it was nice to hear a bunch of 20-something young men passionately discussing history. You would not overhear this conversation in the U.S., unless you were in the queue at the nearest Chipotle to Harvard.
In my triumphant return to posting, let me ask you a burning question that was thrust upon me in the lunch queue on Friday: When does history become history?
I was minding my own business, really, texting my friend as I waited my turn at the Thai food stand in Whitecross Street. But I couldn't help but overhear the quartet of blokes in front of me as they were talking about the History Channel.
Bloke #1: The History Channel considers it fair game to do a programme (this is how he would have spelled it, ok?) on something that happened two weeks ago. That's how they got away with doing all that on 9/11 so quickly.
Bloke #2: That's rubbish. To me, the 17th century, that's history. Yes, anything after the 17th century is really modern times.
Bloke #3: Yes, an order of pad thai please. Yes, with chicken, please.
So is it just me, or is that a really elitist attitude to take toward history? I can't bring myself to consider a time when women were essentially forced to get married or join a nunnery "modern times." On the other hand, it was nice to hear a bunch of 20-something young men passionately discussing history. You would not overhear this conversation in the U.S., unless you were in the queue at the nearest Chipotle to Harvard.
posted by Mrs. Werbenmanjensen at 11:55 AM
2 Comments:
Your comment about distance is spot on. I recall telling an English co-worker about our recent trip to Wiltshire. When I said it was just a day trip (the drive time round trip, including traffic, was about six hours), the reaction I got was, "You didn't stay overnight?"
At 8 pounds a gallon, affording it ain't easy. Luckily, as Streetcar members, it's someone else's problem (well, other than the fact that the petrol price is built into the hire price).
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