I did not want to make this another post ranting about how history relates to my life but... this history just relates to my life. (Plus, I really believe finding these connections makes history and also literature so much more accessible.)

Since I was little, I have been told I am descended from Myles Standish, who crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower. For years, when I saw his name while reading, I would attempt to imagine this historical figure, as a real person, living and surviving day-to-day in Plymouth. To this very day (to this very second, in fact), I find this a very challenging task. Trying to picture historical characters as actual, normal humans is something most people, myself included, are not the best at. Usually the pictures we paint in our heads end up being inaccurate.

An example of this occurred last night while I was at History Club, when we were discussing favorite presidents. As we went around the circle sharing, the usual crowd were brought up and discussed early and often: Washington, Lincoln, FDR. When my turn came, I was hesitant to speak my mind, not because I did not have an answer (I am a complete Roosevelt fangirl, to be honest), but because I believe picking favorite historical figures is a tricky and hazardous business. When people are forced to choose a favorite, they tend to create a watered-down image of a person, including just the obvious, nicer aspects readily available to the public.But in reality, even those in the spotlight, even those we most revere, are more complex than what is shown. The Founding Fathers owned slaves, Woodrow Wilson actively worked for segregation, and describing JFK as "promiscuous" would be an understatement. And while of course everyone is a product of their own times, such details should be considered when mentally creating an image anyone from history or even literature.

Another example comes from the discussion in class, regarding the stereoptype surrounding the word "Puritans." The widely accepted image of this group is one of an austere, cold people who were dedicated to the strict rules of their faith and little else. However, Anne Bradstreet, a well-educated, respected, Puritan woman wrote, "If ever wife was happy in a man,/ Compare with me, ye women, if you can./... Thy love is such I can no way repay,/ The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray." And while it may be true that Bradstreet never intended these thoughts to be made public, but she felt felt them enough to express them, which I believe is still quite incredible. Even John Winthrop in his A Modell of Christian Charity speaks of love, calling it "the bond of perfection." Obviously, the stark, bland vision of Puritan life is incomplete, for these people definitely experienced love for not only their faith, but their families as well. Understanding the truth behind the facade is vital for creating a clear picture of people from history as just what they were... actual people.