I read recently that Thoreau took twelve years to identify a particular bird. I found that fact comforting. I understand Thoreau's problem for I have the devil of a time remembering the names of the birds, the plants and the multitude of insects that cross my path and my horizon from month to month here in the Antipodes and this problem is even more acute when it comes to the details of the part of history which the FireStryker site is concerned with from day-to-day.

But what I lack, what interest of mine is deficient with respect to the various forms of plant and animal life here in the Antipodes--and, indeed, in relation to medieval history--I make up for in my study of the varied humanities and social sciences that bear in a tangential sense on this period, this pre-modern stage of history which was critical in laying down certain fundamental tenencies in western civilization, the civilization I have lived in and had my being now for 66 years.

In the three decades of my teaching career I have acquired, if I acquired nothing else, a passion for certain learnings, certain fields of study. My study is littered, I like to think ordered, by files on: philosophy, psychology, media studies, ancient and medieval history, modern history, literature, poetry, religion, inter alia. I move from one field to another from day to day and week to week and I can not imagine ever running out of gas, of enthusiasm, interest unless, of course, senile dementia or some unanticipated illness brings an end to my days.

Thus, I occupy my time. If J.D. Salinger is right in his claim that "there's a marvellous peace in not being published," it looks like much peace lies in waiting for me--except, I should add, that the internet is now interrupting that piece. I now have literally millions of words 'published' in cyberspace.

One delightful event this year which I'd like to comment on before closing this post was a visit with my cousin Dave Hunter who has had no interest in medieval history, and his wife Barb who taught primary school for 30 years. I had not seen any of my family members for some forty years and we had a day in Melbourne travelling hither and yon, eating delicious meals and getting caught up on many years of life. I found I had an appreciation for my family that had got lost in the mists of time living as I have been since my mid-twenties, since studying medieval history in the 1960s at Mcmaster University in Ontario--first in the far-north of Canada and then on a continent far removed from North America.

There is nothing like forty years absence to make the heart grow fonder and give one a fresh appreciation for one's family. And so---as you all get stuck into summer(at least those of you in the northern hemisphere who read this post, winter is just beginning here in Tasmania with temperatures going down to just above zero celsius at night. Tuesday(30/6/09) is the last day on the school calendar before the summer holidays. Students of medieval history at universities have been on holiday now for some two months.

And so, from Tasmania, I wish you all....

Greetings and salutations.-Ron Price, Student of Medieval History: 1959-2009, From Australia

[ 06-27-2009: Message edited by: RonPrice ]

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