History

It's been a few days since I watched the series, but the History channel did a miniseries called Hatfields and McCoys. History has always been something that intrigued me, but this story really sparked an interest in me. Maybe because it's a story about the south, I'm not sure. I think what was the most compelling was how these two families became so bitter towards each other, not without good reason I guess, but I want to know the real story. At what moment did the vendetta truly begin? What was the point of no return, when forgiveness and turning the other cheek was no longer in question? In what ways were the families different, but in what ways were they similar? What happened to the kind of loyalty in the younger family members that made them believe that they had no other choice but to continue the feud their relatives began? Is it better or worse that adolescents have grown to be more independent of their parents' values? There are a lot of questions that may never get answered. This is the kind of story that seems like it was a piece of literature from time past, when actually it was real life. They were real people that walked on the earth just like we do. They ate food and breathed the air just like we do. What separates us from them other than time? We can learn that our actions have consequences and do not only affect us. We can learn to stand up for what we know is right in spite of what others are doing. History teaches us to be better people based on what others have done before us, good or bad. Learning about the past is the key to understanding how to achieve a successful future.