Make history? Who, me?

By Beverly Goldsmith Contributing Editor

When I was in high school, my history teacher turned to the class one day and said, "You are making history right now. Don't ever forget that!"

I was surprised and somewhat dismissive. "How can that be?" I thought. "Only important people make history."

I suspect that back then I was confusing "fame" with the making of history. But to my teacher, history was not just world events or famous people. History was the way you and I live each day—our thoughts, attitudes, and our deeds. It was about individual lives and the minutiae of day-to-day living. She taught us to remember this and judge history according to what each of us said and did—not just by what was recorded in the pages of history books.

It was quite a lesson. And over the years I've continued to think about it. The idea that we were making history in our everyday lives encouraged me to think more deeply about what I said and did each moment. I even found a way to help "make" history in my daily life. It has been through being of service to others.

My first opportunity came when I was a teenager. As a good swimmer, I was asked to join the "Herald Learn to Swim" campaign initiated by the Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne, Australia. For several summers I taught young children how to swim. I loved it. It didn't matter to me that I was just an unpaid volunteer. For the first time, I felt the joy that comes from helping others. The feeling never left.

That swimming campaign was highly successful. Thousands of children learned water safety. And unbeknownst to me at the time, I was taking part in what my history teacher would have labeled a "history-making event"—an event that set me on a lifetime path of wanting to help people.

History is lived out in the lives of ordinary people like you and me.

Why is service to others important to the making of history? It contributes to the general good. Sure, it promotes caring and sharing. And yes, self-interest and monetary gain become less important. People are benefited. But also, when needs are seen and supplied without the thought of getting something in return, this has the tendency of spreading. Such as when a woman asked my mother, "How can I ever repay you for all that you've done for me?" My mother replied, "I don't expect you to repay me. When you've had a kindness shown to you, pass it on."

That kind of sentiment resonates with a retired neighbor of mine who is a volunteer for the

Meals on Wheels organization. He once told me that it gave him satisfaction to be of service to people in his community. "People have been kind to me over the years," he said. "This is a way for me to return the good that's come my way."

Helping people in ways like this ultimately has great potential to move civilization in a more spiritual direction. Consider the world as a giant "think tank," containing all kinds of thoughts and attitudes. The more spiritual, unselfish, and loving the thoughts are that each person contributes, the more hardheartedness and self-seeking are neutralized. As people find even little ways to be of service to others, they help make the world a better place.

History is lived out in the lives of ordinary people like you and me. When future generations look back on this period of time, what will they say about those of us who lived in it?

Will we be remembered because we did our best to resolve conflicts and eliminate poverty and inequality?

Will it be recalled that our thoughts and deeds helped civilization progress spiritually?

Will we be recognized for individual service to others?

These are ideals worth rolling up our sleeves and working for now. Let's make history.

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