Sep 29, 2010

Yep. That's My Major

It amazes me sometimes that Heavenly Father leads us through choices so gradually that we don't see it happening. When I was in junior high, I had no idea what I wanted to with my life. My grades weren't the best, so I was surprised when I was invited to one of those award assemblies. It turned out that Mr. Crow, my history teacher, gave me an award for excellence in his class. The award wasn't a big deal; most kids got them, but the biggest compliment was after the assembly. I happened to run into him - he told me that someday I would make an awesome history teacher. I thanked him, but didn't seriously think about it.

Fast forward a few years to junior year of high school. I still didn't have any life plans, which really frustrated me. That year I was taking the required U.S. history class and it started to dawn on me that I enjoyed history a little too much. This became all too apparent when I was putting the finishing touches on my personal history paper for the class. I was setting up the table of contents and was shocked to realize that I had typed almost 70 pages and enjoyed every minute of it.

After taking AP U.S. history during my last year of high school, I finally realized that for some reason Heavenly Father gave me a passion for history. Maybe it's a side effect of the hearts of the children turning to their fathers (Malachi 4:6).

It's funny because now it seems so obvious. Like, here's your sign! For example, you know you're a history nerd when:
  • You explain the ins and outs of the Articles of Confederation over lunch to help a work friend with an assignment.
  • You volunteer at a museum for the sheer fun of it
  • Your family gives you books about the Civil War for Christmas
  • You help your roommate's friend study for a midterm while falling asleep. When she asks you about Islam you reply, "Well it all started when..."
  • You enjoy endless rounds of the game "Which Obscure Person in History Has Their Name Taped on My Back?" (20 questions style) at a history department social
  • You find videos like this absolutely entertaining

2 comments:

Stephanie said...

History nerds love to encourage others with the same spark. I am so glad you have found joy in your major. It is always more fun to have someone with whom to share the insanity and passion.

Kiera said...

Hahaha, oh Heather, can I just say that I LOVE this post? That history open social was so fun and so true to the history nerd stereotype. You better believe it, the world has need of us, the history nerds. Besides just being excited about history, it's good to be passionate and excited about something and it's an especially noble calling to want to share that with others.