Touching Lives Making History

I remember Mrs. Moffatt’s 8th grade History Class
There we would study dates and timelines
Things many people consider to be boring and dry
Her class was an exception to that rule,
Where everyday was like a new adventure
You never knew what she’d say or do
To make history come alive for you!
She would show us how the past was connected to the present
And how it affected our future
She would even dress up in costume
As a historical figures
Great and small
Male and female she did them all!
Not to make a statement or stir up controversy
She did it simply to instill in her students
A love of history
My time with her passed by in the blink of an eye
But my love of history was now firmly established
set in place
But soon it began to fade away
Replaced by mundane things of life’s day to day
In no time at all, it was nearly dead,
But eventually it was revived once again
When thumbing through the pages of The Contributor
I discovered
Articles entitled: ‘History Corner’
I looked forward to EVERY issue
To learning something new I didn’t know
In some cases, his articles took me to places I’ve never been,
Teaching me about things of long ago
Others I was VERY familiar with
It was like visiting with a long lost friend
Still there was ALWAYS something
That left me shaking my head and wondering
Wow! I didn’t know that little detail!
This poem is dedicated to Mrs Moffatt who I saw everyday, and still I couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say or see what she might do next
And to Ridley Wills II,
A man I never met,
Still, he filled a void that had been left
When he brought back to life my love of history that was nearly dead.
Someone I’m CERTAIN I NEVER will forget!
Ridley, I am forever in your debt!