History is in The Eye of The Beholder.

From a cat's perspective, human history is a vast blanket of violence, bigotry, and bloodshed. There isn't much to be said for mankind other than they've managed to destroy just about everything with which they've come in contact. Speaking for myself, I don't understand what motivates a person to become an historian. Yes, yes, I know what your thinking: "Wilberforce, don't you realise that he who forgets history is doomed to repeat it?" But if that's so, why do people continue to repeat the same old offences in spite of the existence of text books and scholars? Perhaps it's because humans are more concerned with the events that have affected them personally than they are those which affected their forefathers.

What about you? What would you rate as the most significant event of the past one hundred years? Would it be the outbreak of a major war, the death of a famous celebrity, or a natural disaster claiming thousands of lives? What if we broke it down into specifics? Perhaps the most significant event worldwide or in the country, state, or city in which you live? However you chop it up, most people rank history according to its personal impact.

Just as an example, an article in The Times cited one poll, conducted by The History Channel, which ranked the death of Princess Diana as the most significant event in the past century of British History. I wonder if Douglas Haig would agree had he been alive in 2002. (If you don't know who Douglas Haig is, don't fret; there are a great deal of college graduates who are right there beside you. Furthermore, if you scroll down a bit, you can Google him and be an expert in no time.) I find it rather interesting that this same article also states: "A survey of more than 1,000 people undertaken on behalf of The History Channel found that, for most people, history is largely a matter of what they have seen most recently on television."

Now, I know that I oughtn't categorically disregard all humans as shallow, media-made zombies. Many are genuinely interested in the welfare of their species, and were it not for the prominence of those who are more interested in the welfare of themselves, they may actually make a difference. However, until there is a shift in the balance of selfless versus selfish, I fear man will continue to dominate man to his own injury.

Yours Purringly,
W.C. Humphries II (Mr. Fleez for short.)



READERS REMEMBER! You may now ask Mr. Fleez for his jaded opinion* on your personal situations. Please send your enquiries to: housecatwisdom@yahoo.co.uk.

*DISCLAIMER: By contacting Housecat Wisdom you're asking a housecat for his personal opinion. If you require serious advice, please, write Ann Landers, Dear Abby, or consult a professional psychiatrist.


akw: Grooming salons, Decorations, Kitty Condos, Cat Trees, Cat Toys, Cat nip, Teasers, Lasers, Treats.