I’m open to interviewing the individuals that expressed interested to the Hayward Area Historical Society. I’m a little nervous about arranging meetings with the individual(s) due to transportation constraints, but things will work out. I might interview my boss, as well; she has lived in Hayward since birth and has already given me a lot of insight into how the town itself has changed over the past 50+ years.
Oral histories are a rich traditional form of history that explicitly encourages historians to engage their subjects. Delving deep into an individual’s life experiences is an excellent way to really learn how someone grows due to the events that change, alter, and shape someone’s life and the world around them. It is easy to take a survey course in college and learn about “The New Deal” or how agriculture changed ancient civilizations, but it is hard to see those major alterations change someone’s life.
Studying someone’s life is a great way to understand how society has changed, whether in a matter of 2 or 3 years, or 2 generations. By incorporating the general lessons of history taught in the classroom, the oral histories can help to reinforce or challenge the lectures I’ve taken notes on in the past. It will be very consuming of both time and energy, but the rewards will be endless: meeting interesting people; going on a journey with someone through time and space; seeing the world through their eyes; discovering how hind-sight might have changed their perception of the past.
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