Is There A Point Here?

I don't know how you feel about studying history, but for the love of God's erect penis, pick up a copy of Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest by Matthew Restall. I'm rereading the first 5 chapters before I get started on the only term paper I have to write this semester. And I've got to say it's going to be my favorite.

Ok, quote time:

"Does this ambiguous relationship between myth and history, or their fusing into mythistory, undermine the quest to find truths about the past? In pursuing that quest, do we run the risk of following in Plato's footsteps and replacing old myths with invented truths or new myths? Are our truths really convenient fictions? They may often be just that, but we can still examine the context and purpose of such fictions. We can compare truths of the conquistadors to our truths about them, and as a result achieve a better understanding of the Conquest - even if that understanding does not pretend to be the truth in an absolute sense. Historical conclusions are not infallible, but when they are well evidenced and carefully argued they deserve to be taken as telling us something true about the world. We can question the truth claims of an historical narrative without going so far as to relegate it to merely one fiction among others. There are always multiple narratives of any historical moment, but that does not mean that as interpretations they cannot tell us something true."

I don't know about you people, but I've been thinking that since Mr. Grey's 7th grade geography class. I was obsessed with Caribbean stuff then. Yeah, mostly because I was playing this Pirates game on the old 386, but I was down with that shit. That game taught me the difference between a Sloop and a Galleon. The interesting part about that of my life was that I still hated to read back then (although it wouldn't take much longer for that to change), and when dad forced Treasure Island upon me, I retched. I'm all about that shit now, even though I haven't picked it up again...yet. Maybe over Christmas break when I'm at home.

This has been an educational session of rambling.