The internet has made it so easy for us to put bits and pieces of stories together without context or with any real back stories. So many true historical events are built on countless stories to prop up and fill out the true story. Major events do not just happen; they are born so to speak. Think of the run up to the two world wars, no one just said let us have a big war. There were technological developments, planning, politics, hatred. Think of the Apollo moon landing, it did not just happen, the back story consisted of science, technology, politics, national pride, and a powerful drive for exploration.
Let us take your cell phone for example. You need a cell phone, you pick it out and buy it, pick a carrier, download apps, talk, use the internet. What is the backstory for the cell phone in your hand? It was thought up, designed, manufacturing equipment was designed and built to put the phone together, materials were mined from the ground for components, oil was used for the plastic, manufactured components were sent to the factory using transportation, people were hired to run the factory, programming, packaging was made and shipped to the factory, everything comes together then the phone is shipped to a distribution center and finally to the store or website you bought it from. How many steps from the concept to your pocket are there? So many backstories to consider. Let us look at that for a bit. A great cell phone started with a concept, but without per say mining, what is the back story there? Precious metals which are from international suppliers are the big back story, any disruption by nature or politics could disrupt the entire chain. Within this story what are our options, what are our backup plans?
One of the ways to ensure we are well informed is to ensure the story we are hearing and or reading about is in-depth, leads to back stories and verifiable data. If you ever have the chance to read stories about World War Two, there are thousands of stories which together weave a tapestry of that global event which changed the world forever. Stories of the Black Sheep Squadron, CV-6 Enterprise, Pearl Harbor, enigma machine, radar, emergence of the jets, Battle of Britain, the political climate built on the treaty of Versailles, the failure of the league of nations and so many more.
My point has is clear, events are stories woven together with so many lost stories, personal stories we may never hear but would be amazing if we could know. Even the great historical events such as the loss of Pompeii, what were their individual stories, what was the tapestry they were weaving? How about your neighbor, your best friend, what stories are they writing in the history of life? What is your story?