Webster’s defines history as “an account of what happened in the life or development of a people, country, or institution, the branch of knowledge that deals systematically with the past.” I believe that is self-explanatory.

As such nothing we can do will change what happened. People tear down monuments. They change designations of teams. They make people change names of things, but that does not erase history.

Our history is important. I believe that history is there to help us not commit some of the same mistakes as our ancestors. The monuments remind us. The names remind us. We are so concerned about offending someone that they are trying to erase history.

As long as there are people on this earth history will not be erased. People tell the story. They repeat what happened to those around them. I am part of history. I rehash what went on in the past. I tell you about how things were when I was growing up. The newspaper could stop publishing what I write, but that would not stop history. What happened would still be there for others to tell their stories to their families.

Family history is important. Years ago, I presented a class on writing. One lady told me she was attending to discover how to write down her history for her family. I told her not to try to emulate my style but to write like she talks. Her family would want to read her own words in the manner that she speaks.

We just went through the graduation season with high schools and college conferring degrees. That is history. From the mortar board to the classic gowns, it is what has been done for years. Graduates may change, but the procedure has not.

Then, there is the tradition of family. Our country is seriously lacking in this area. Family is taking a back seat to other things. In the past, businesses were closed for Sunday worship. No stores were open. Families went to church together. They went home for Sunday dinner with the family. They visited with older relatives in the afternoon and evening.

Times are different. Now families go to football and baseball games. They skip church. Young people are not being educated in the ways of the church. Religion, too, takes a back seat. In this area when I coordinated Vacation Bible School I always told people that I did it for the children who had no exposure to the Bible.

The Bible is history, too. It was not compiled in a vacuum. Things were taking place at the same time. To understand what was going on you must look at the history of the time period. Our minister is particularly skilled at letting us know the history. He always relates his sermons to what was going on in history.

Bible history is fascinating. It explains how things relate. I have always appreciated history. In fact, I intended to major in history and become a history teacher. When I ran into some very difficult professors, I changed my major to elementary school. That was a good change for me, but changed my whole course in life. I did teach history in elementary school. I remember when the Berlin Wall came down. I had to teach the students about what happened in WWII so they understood the significance.

That is just another instance of not living in a vacuum. Whatever you do, be sure to tell your family about your past. It will help them understand why you do some of the things you do. It will help them know about the history of the area.

Recently, D-Day was celebrated with veterans revisiting the scene. It is said this will be the last celebration. That is too bad. I know those who participated are not around, but the day still holds significance. It is a part of our history and I think it should be celebrated as such.

Likewise, the historical association of your area is a valuable resource. Take your children there. Let them see what your area was like years ago.

Some of the best trips that I took when I was a child were history based. My family took me to colonial Williamsburg. I loved seeing the old crafts and listening to the docents. I also went to Boston and Fort Ticonderoga. That helped me understand more about the American Revolution.

When my daughter lived in Iowa we went to a living history farm. There was so much to see that we spent the whole day there. When I traveled with my cousin and her husband, we visited historical sites in Vermont and New Hampshire. All of that led to great understanding of history.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Email her at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.