> In short, we have a common method to
measure time. When a date that something
happened on comes around a year later, we
notice the similarity in the dates. We remark
on the similarity.
>
> This is also how traditions begin.

Here's a thought: is not the entire field of study
known as "history" nothing more than a
collection of anniversaries? What do history
students learn, anyway? Large lists of events
that happened in the past, all categorized by
the months, days, years, and sometimes even
moments that they started and/or ended.

Certainly there are some aspects of history
that aren't that way, but then those are some of
the things we know the least about, such as
ancient history, or (and why do you think they
call it this?) pre-historic times. It's been
almost ten years since my last history class,
but I seem to recall that the closer we got to
the present day in our studies, the more we
were concerned with dates and times. The
study of history is nothing more than the study
of anniversaries... remembering significant
dates and what happened on those dates.

I suppose Baffled does not have a problem
with history, though, since outside of
coincidence you're not remembering stuff that
happened on certain dates on the same dates
in the present. After all, anniversaries outside
of strict historical studies are only significant
to those who were directly involved in whatever
happened on that particular date. In other
words, I'm thinking that a historical event is
always an anniversary, but not vice versa. The
anniversary of my wedding date is important to
me, but two hundred years from now it will be
forgotten, at least in that aspect. However,
events like D-Day, the attack on Pearl Harbor,
or 9-11-01 will most likely not be forgotten as
long as the nations involved continue to exist.
Even after the people who fought for their
countries and their lives on those dates are
long gone, they will still be observed in a
national sense. Yes, the historical events will
be studied and the dates memorized in
classrooms year round, but when those
significant dates roll around each year, people
will continue to observe them, however they
choose to do it. Why? Because there's just
something in the human psyche that makes
us feel the need to do so. If you lack that
something, then to be honest, I don't know
whether I should envy you or pity you.

Gri"Will they remember me when I'm
gone?"shny