Mark Twain once said:
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
I've been a fan of Mr. Twain's since I was required to teach The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to high school juniors back in the days of my public school teaching career.
We read other pieces Twain wrote, too, but Huck Finn was a centerpiece of the district curriculum for juniors.
Full of his signature dry wit, middle-finger wagging style, and male bravado, Huck Finn has stood the test of time despite its controversial story line and subject matter.
Like all great literature throughout the ages, Twain's works give us a lens through which to view the world -- and ultimately, ourselves.
History Doesn't Repeat Itself
In today's meme-obsessed world, Twain quotes are spread as far and wide as the Mississippi River during flood stage.
I'm particularly fond of the quote that started this post. One, because it's true. And second, because as a poet, I like any reference to poetic qualities.
I took this selfie outside Village Books in Bellingham, Washington, an hour before my reading and signing began for my book, The Far Unlit Unknown. How fitting to discover a bronze statue of an author I've long admired fixed on a bench by the bookstore.
Little piece of trivia here -- during my tenure as a high school English teacher, I dressed up as a famous American male author each Halloween. Mark Twain was one of my best and favorite costumes.
Twain, one of America's most prolific authors, continues to influence the way American's think about ourselves and our history, as ugly as that history is. Whether you like him or not is irrelevant.
He symbolizes a specific period of time in which he chose to write what he knew, what fascinated him, and what he was learning. Consequently, we in the 21st century get a glimpse into 19th century American life through his writing, particularly post-Civil War American life when, not unlike our times today, was full of innovation and massive fortunes for a few, conversations about civil rights and who gets to do what.
We may dress differently than the people in Twain's era. We may all be hooked to our phones as if they were our only life source. But our humanity hasn't changed much in the last 140 years. Hell, it hasn't changed much period throughout all of time. Why do you think Ryan Holiday has done as well as he has presenting the Stoic philosophy to a 21st century audience?
As much as we like to think things are different now, they really aren't.
The lilting rhyme of our past rings loud and clear across the land, through city streets, and certainly all over Instagram. I'll conclude with another one of my favorite astute observations from Twain:
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