All too often, I hear people comment that history is “boring.” As a historian, I of course find their assessment of the past upsetting and untrue–history is fascinating. Yet, I can’t deny that history can be boring at times, but it really isn’t the fault of past historical figures or events. Instead, it’s how the past is presented that has led people throughout the ages to find history dull, unengaging, and–let’s face it–a real snooze.
Because I know that history isn’t boring–that it’s only the way it is sometimes presented that makes it uninteresting–I’ve been on a mission to change people’s perceptions. One of my favorite ways to do so? By hosting historic cemetery tours! I hosted my area’s first historic cemetery tour all the way back in 2017, and I ran it until 2019. Because of the Covid pandemic, the tour did take a hiatus, but I wasn’t ready to end the tour permanently. So September of 2024, I brought the cemetery tour back and invited those in my community to come celebrate and learn from history.
As I heard the tour attendees leaving the event, I was excited by the feedback I heard. Some said they learned a lot. Others commented that they enjoyed it. And still others–two kids, no less–told their parents as they were heading back to their cars that the cemetery tour was fun! When I watched the audience engaging with our shared past, my mission of keeping history exciting was renewed. Now, it seems my passion for getting people involved in and interested in their history is flaming ever brighter.
How can Y-O-U make history intriguing? Well, stay tuned, because next month I’ll be sharing some tips and suggestions for how you can start a cemetery tour in your community, complete with information on how to write scripts, find reenactors, and so much more. In the meantime, feel free to check out a sampling of pictures from this year’s event (see below) and remember to Keep the History Alive!
