It is easy to get lost in the abstractions of history- the politics, the themes, the concepts. It’s tempting to get lost in the color of history- the mythology, the heroes and villians, the romance of artifacts and the stories written, painted, sung, and sculpted.
But history isn’t glorious, it is painfully real and leaves many people broken, bereft, and lost. No speech or law, no celebration or revolution, no veneration heals or even salves the wounds. All of our noise does little more than make it easier for bystanders to look away.
Nelson Mandela’s book, “Long Walk to Freedom” is the story of his life in Apartheid South Africa and how he was gradually drawn into the movement to overthrow the racist regime. Most of his work in that movement took place behind bars. What struck me about the book was the personal nature of the text. Mandela recounts events, politics, and personalities, but focuses more acutely on the effects of this history on his life and the lives of others. The messy, unglamorous loss and pain that result from trying to change the way things are.
A long read, but a good one.