Do We Remember or Do We Understand?

by Angela Sanford

  I don’t know about you, but some days I’m lucky if I can remember the date without checking my phone or a calendar. My phone has become the keeper of all dates – past, present and future – giving me the much-appreciated ability to search for events, details and dates that don’t always seem to register in my mind.

   I could blame it on my aging mind, but in all honesty, recalling dates was a struggle even back in my high school days. I struggled in history class to connect dates with events and piece together timelines, especially when they showed up on tests and quizzes.

   Of course, technology hasn't exactly helped my memory either. When I have a device in my hand that can remember everything for me, why rely on my own brain capacity? Whether that's a good thing or not is an entirely different debate!

   With Remembrance Day approaching, it got me thinking: What dates and significant events can you recall from the First or Second World War? Could you list the dates of major battles or even report when each war started and ended without a Google search? And, perhaps more importantly, do you feel guilty if you can't?

   Personally, if someone were to put me on the spot, I might come up with a few correct answers, but honestly, probably not many.

   However, if you asked me what November 11 represents, I feel confident in my ability to explain the people, sacrifices and human experiences behind the history.

   When the time comes for silent reflection on November 11, whether I'm attending a service or not, I take those two minutes to reflect on what I understand about the impact of war. I think about the families whose sons and daughters left home to face an unknown future, risking everything and, for many, paying the ultimate sacrifice. I pause to remember the families left behind, waiting for news, and the communities forever changed by the sacrifices of those who served. I recognize that history wasn't simply a series of events recorded in textbooks; it was real life, experienced by real people, and it continues to shape the freedoms I enjoy today.

That doesn't mean I dismiss the importance of historical timelines. Dates matter. They help us piece together different perspectives, make connections between significant events and understand how the consequences of war can continue long after the fighting has stopped.

   But perhaps the greater lesson is that remembering dates and understanding history aren't necessarily the same thing. Knowing when something happened is important, but understanding why it mattered, who it affected and what we can learn from it is just as important, if not more so.

   As for me, I'll continue to rely on my phone to remember the dates. But I hope I never lose sight of the stories, sacrifices and lessons behind them.