Most people I know don’t love history. They say history is a boring subject. So boring that keeping their eyes open in class is a hopeless struggle.

There are too many dates to remember, they say.

“If it’s not the dates then it’s the names of historical figures, why should I learn that? What use are names of dead people and historic dates of the past to the present?” Whenever I hear someone ask this question, a part of me dies for them. How can someone be so comfortable with wallowing in their own ignorance and then have the audacity to blame it on history?

No, history is not boring! A teacher who teaches history without the passion it requires might make you think history is a boring subject. But history offers us a lens through which human existence can be studied. There is so much that we can learn about the present through engaging with the past. That’s why history remains one of my favourite subjects. It teaches us that what happened in the past shaped the present in its present form and in the same manner what happens today will shape tomorrow’s world.

The years 2015 and 2016 are without doubt historic years for South Africa’s so-called ‘young democracy.’ The country is going through difficult times and no one knows when the madness will end.

And when the madness ends, will things go back to normal? Will police leave our campuses to go deal with real criminals? Speaking of real criminals, when the madness ends, will JZ still be president? Will he resign by his own accord or will he be recalled?

Nobody knows for sure what the future holds for this country anymore. But one thing is certain; historians will record these times, not for themselves, but for future generations. History records is what future generations will inherit from us so that they can know how their present has been shaped by their past. Hopefully, though, they’ll not be too lazy to open their books so that they can learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. But most importantly, history lesson classes should not be an opportunity to fall asleep, but a place to learn about how the past shapes the present. The wars and fights amongst nations and the destruction that follows should be a reminder of a path that should never be travelled on, ever again.

ZZ xx

Dish it: Do you enjoy history? What do you like/dislike about history?