Connecting to our Heritage through Stories

The spirit or mood of our current times can pull us away from our people’s past achievements and contributions. Indeed the contributions of the European white people are simply taken for granted. From Europe to the U.S. to Canada to Australia to New Zealand, we have built quite livable cultures and lifestyles. However we can lose track of what it took to get here. This is a time when it is useful to look back at the stories of the men and women who were achievers. This brings me to recommend a book that I just finished reading, “The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough. Most of us are aware that the Wright brothers were the first to design, build and fly an airplane in the early 20th century. That in itself does not stir my emotions but reading the details of their story connects me not only to them but also to the inventors and achievers of that age who led the way to our modern society. If you take the trouble to read the book, you too will know the ingenuity, the machining skill, the intelligence and toughness of these brothers. Through many trials and failures and dangers, their unrelenting persistence is inspiring. These two brothers were our people and we need to value their contributions and the contributions of countless other innovators. Our white European heritage is valuable and it is important to remember how we arrived to the place where we are today. It is important to remember that we still have this spirit within us. Let us focus and not waste the opportunities in front of us.