The obvious question is "why" - and the answer is that in June, 1960, I graduated from Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School which automatically tells you that I am black. And the year should tell you that I got a comprehensive education full of math, chemistry, biology, physics, English, Latin and French classes. That year and the years at university represent the summit of my learning. I probably knew more then about more subjects than before or since.
June, 2010 as well as my 67th birthday are coming this way at the speed of 747 and what better time to re-learn some things.
Fate must have known that I was looking for a ridiculous task to fill in the empty seconds between working 60 hours a week, exercising an hour a day and taking care of hundreds of books in an apartment which was apparently designed as a dust magnet. While dusting (what else) I noticed a book originally bought for my (then) teenage sons in 1985 - "HIGH SCHOOL SUBJECTS SELF-TAUGHT" - 28 of them. Why not go through the book - reading and answering the examination questions in time for the hoped-for high school reunion in June, 2010?
Rather than pose that question seriously (60 hour work week, dust, evening classes, etc), just open the book, learn to use this laptop at the same time, inspire other 60-somethings to jog their brains and enjoy the "trip".
But, first to my talisman - a copy of Richard Halliburton's COMPLETE BOOK OF MARVELS - a Christmas present from my grandmother, a prodigious reader and armchair adventurer, in 1955, now falling apart from use and age. One look at his idealized photo and I am off to begin my adventure - Ancient History!!
The Tigris and Euphrates areas are often called the Cradle of Civilization but what about the Indus River valley - obviously nowadays a "cradle less-rocked"; maybe because much of the Indus, which rises in Tibet and gave its name to India, is now mostly in Pakistan. Fortunately, there are not yet a lot of dates to remember.
Tomorrow Greece - the Dorians are coming -save the children!!
