The other day in Barcelona, where I am spending my winter holiday, my husband and I stood gazing in awe at Roman columns, the remains of a temple dedicated to Augustus. Discretely housed in what is now the interior of a modern apartment complex, this site was an incredible example of the new embracing the old.
Later, at a quaint tapas dinner, I questioned my husband (who happens to be an expert) on his knowledge of world history. For example, I could not remember the exact reasons for the American War of Independence: Was the war just related to taxation without representation? What about the separation of church and state? (Turns out, the latter was not addressed until about 25 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.)
Being in Europe always makes me want to know more about American history and America's interaction with the rest of the world. European history defines America, yet we often forget these ties.
Many of us do not think about the past. One obvious reason for this is that the U.S. does not have as many centuries to remember, at least in comparison to countries like those in Europe.
Although we do not have the same ancient structures demanding recognition, we do share similarities with Europe in terms of slavery, oppression, and genocide. Though on the positive side of things, we helped set the stage for ideas of Democracy vs. Monarchy, which much of Europe has latched on to.
However, we do not seem to possess the same apologetic stance that say, Germany does, related to the atrocities of the Holocaust. Many of us also do not remember the ways that France helped us out financially during the American Revolutionary War and that their long history of questioning authority helped inspire a new statesman, Benjamin Franklin, who sought the help of France when trying to give birth to a new country. Instead, many of us remember the supposed banning of french fries (in favor of freedom fries) because the French did not support the initial phases of the Iraqi war.
The American tendency to deny painful realities is reflected in the ways that we tend to forget about our past. Though it is a normal human behavior to dismiss earlier experiences, this phenomenon seems culturally bound. In America, we ignore history, even new history. Some have commented on the fact that many of the same mistakes were made regarding the recent attempted bombing of an American airplane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit that were made during September, 2001. Apparently history is easy to forget, even if it is only history from 8 years ago.
So what does all of this say about Americans and 21st Century elderly? If we can't remember the past and choose to ignore it, the implications are not only political but also personal. I wonder if we are asking all of the advice we can of people who might know how to deal with terrorist threats, wars, and the implications about our security.
Do the elderly in our society have a voice that speaks to the current political challenges? Are we getting enough advice from those who have lived through the crises of the last 60 years? Maybe we should ask for more help from this older generation. Like Europe, I think we can learn much from integrating the old along with the new.
