Retrospect

this is going to be some random notes .. i could put it into the "drafts", but will probably forget it, or let it die of "new-moania".

History fascinates me. not history itself, but the way it is constructed. We tend to forget that "writing"is recent phenomena. most of what we think we know about the past is/was transferred by "word of mouth". a point, here. writing is, actually, mostly, transitory - written for the moment. i send a letter .. the intention is tell someone what's happening NOW. If that written item survives several generations, it gives the reader an "impression" of what happened back then. (there is much to be looked at here) quite a lot of "history"is re-constructed from clay tablets that .. well, are records of commercial transactions, never meant, nor intended, to be "historical documents" - and yes, can get into trouble here .. some stone carvings WERE intended to be seen at a later date .. but not many. most were designed for "local consumption".

Anyway, want to move on quickly. Am, at this point, thinking about the strict discipline required of the "bards " and "ollaves"who had to spend 7 years apprenticeship. very few people at that time could read and write. The only way "news" or "ïnformation"could be spread around was by - basically - word of mouth. But also - before "writing" - tribal "history" HAD to be strictly controlled, and so it became a "discipline". Any variation, "improvisation" was verboten, had to be .. one of the reasons for couching history in the mathematical precision of"chants" otherwise it would deteriorate into "chinese whispers" and who knows where it would end up ..

It's all a long story - difficult to explain in few words - and one of the reasons "religion" is stuck where it is .. but that's another long story.

What actually prompted all this is that have been focussed on researching a specific event that happened within living memory - almost exactly 63 years ago. Oh yes, have all the "official"documentation from the National Archives .. but what is fascinating me at the moment is that have never been able to find, or listen to - eyewitnesses. I do, however, have contacts who have contacts. At the moment the discrepancies between the "officially recorded" reports , and the "hearsay" reports - are remarkable. (am using "hearsay"as a fairly loose term. More like .. "yer, me mate wuz there, and he said .." - though does expand into "I heard from a mate who's uncle said"..).

Even so .. some of the "hearsay" reports match with the "official" typewritten copies .. but some don't .. and trying to figure out which is the more "believable" is an interesting excercise.

The point, at the time of writing - is that, three weeks ago, was given the phone number of .. guess what .. an eyewitness. Yes, have spoken with him, listened to what he had to say .. is it exciting, breaking news .. er, well ..

Yes, he remembers being there but errrrm, it was 63 years ago. I wonder how many people could remember the details of what they did on one particular day LAST YEAR - though will have to add that this particular event was "unusual" and "traumatic", so not ya normal day.

Something else that have noticed is that nobody - even at the time - noticed or remembered what happened leading up the the "event". It was, like .. normal .. until the event THEN everyone suddenly has clear recollection, and a plethora of detailed documentation .. curious.

[ there will be some people who know the background of what am talking about .. some not .. the details - in this instance - are irrelevant]

I ring (pester) him every Friday evening .. he's still trying to remember. He's a lovely guy, but the stories are all intermingled with what happened 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago.. he's promised - at some point to write it all down .. have told him that anything is OK by me .. just write it down!!.

Is there a point to all this ? Well, yes.

I do have to scratch my head a bit - now - when people tell me the "bible" is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ..