Long ago and far away, my high school decided that being modern would be served by dividing the year of English into 3 (or was it 4?) units, each with a different topic and taught by a different teacher. I only remember nuggets from one, "I know what I like," taught by Mr. Holbrook.
One of few gray-haired teachers, he taught this mix-master class during his first year at the school. He had been a journalist for many years, and indeed, he also guided yearbook and newspaper staffs, imparting real-world skills.
As the class stumbled through debating "I know what I like" (aka "developing aesthetics," a totally unappealing title for teens) while discussing short stories and essays, he would toss out one liners. If ears were open and brains switched on, these bon mots plopped down front and center until assimilated. Perhaps these were his version of a koan. What is more important in a white horse? its whiteness or its horse-ness?
Holbrook comments -- in no particular order --
"All of you watch too much TV," was thrown out as an aside one day when we were up and heading for the door. I hung around and asked why he said "all of you" because he didn't really know us that well. His return. "If I had said, 'Some of you watch too much TV,' everyone would put themselves in the section that didn't watch too much TV. By saying 'all,' each of you will think, even if just for a moment, 'Do I watch too much TV?' and that's the object, to get you thinking." Hmmmm.
Several times during the quarter, the discussion veered into theft, embezzlement and other kinds of stealing. His comment, "Don't talk to me about anything less than $100,000 as my share of the take. If I'm going to jail, it's going to be for a big amount." OK.
He mentioned his many geographic moves as a journalist. A bunch of military kids, we were not impressed. Older than most of our parents, he claimed he was never concerned about keeping his job. "I was looking for a job when I found this one." Interesting & surprised.
He also talked about teaching. I must have asked why he wasn't bothered by the line of students sitting with their backs to the wall, not talking, not listening, etc. For him, a class of 30 divided into three groups: 5-7 students who were bumps on a log, 3-5 who would learn without a teacher, and 22 who were at various points, needed a teacher and wanted to learn. He said that many teachers taught to the bumps, spending much of the class time engaging with them. He believed that wasn't fair to the class. He said he always taught to that middle group, but every so often would throw out something to invite the 5-7 bumps to bestir themselves and join in, and more often he would throw out a comment or observation to challenge the 3-5 who were yawning (inside if not outside). Again, interesting.
His biggest toss out has rattled around my brain for decades, constantly informs my genealogical work and is the title of this piece, the concern about "why." I suspect the discussion started with an examination of the actions and motivations of a character in some short story. As the exchange progressed, Holbrook tossed out the observation, "You can never know another person's 'why,' because knowing that would require mind-reading skills." He added that the questions you answer in a news article are "who, what, when, where, why and how," but in journalism the why is not any manner of mind-reading, but examining the situation from the outside and telling the "what of the what" or "what made the what possible." The window broke (what happened) caused by a hurricane which came through town (why the window could break) or the dog was lost (what happened) because the door was left open (why the dog could be lost). Simplistic examples but decent illustrations.
So... when I hear younger genealogists (time doing, not age) voicing "Why did Frances move from Ohio to Minnesota in 1910?" or "Why did Charles strike off by himself in 1850 and go from Oklahoma to California?" I quietly smile to myself. Often the question can be reworded into a question that can be answered by examing matters observable, such as, "How were Ohio and Minnesota different?" or "What did California offer a single man from Oklahoma in 1850? Those questions can be answered with paper, and maps, and newspaper articles. No crystal balls required.
Sometimes circumstances and hints suggest a motivation, but given the complexity of life, cause and effect are rarely clearcut. Journals & letters often include what purport to be motivations, but the caution comes from psychologists who remind that we may not know our own whys.
What's the take-away? First, keep thinking and wondering and learning. Second, remember that you can never know another person's why. Go for the paper. (and cite...of course cite).
TA...
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this blog got to mature, like a fine wine... so did the p.s. --- on other shores: we celebrated Christmas, but couldn't see friends at church. the tree is small and lovely. the stockings are still hanging on a bureau in the living room, our stand in for a fireplace. Santa knew there will still be months of staying in and dropped off 3 jigsaw puzzles with travel themes. Also books.
In past years, this week between Christmas and New Year was the change-over week. Stow the old paper and hang empty labeled files for the new. This year...not so much.
I spin and knit for calm and for product, but finished items and skeins were fewer in 2020. Time went into writing and sorting my computer. I and the alphabet will prevail. (think of a spare room. Open the door, toss stuff in, close the door. That was almost my computer).
Time also went into walking the My Mission virtual challenges. While waiting for my DAR bling, I have walked the Camino de Santiago, swum the English Channel, and climbed Mt. Fuji, all virtually with circuits in the house. Now I am walking Hadrian's Wall from east to west. It's a bit silly, and also fun. For every 20% of a mission's mileage completed, the organization plants a tree. Every so often they send postcards of what you would see if really there, and at the end you are sent a rather impressive medal and a certificate (suitable for framing).