Why I Read Old Shit

The first old text I remember reading of my own will was Histories by Herodotus.

It helped me get a different angle, on stories almost every adult in my life seemed to think were the most important.

Like a mudslide in the right place, it opened up entire vistas to me.

Old shit shows me what hasn’t changed.

And like unearthing ancient bacteria, you might get infected with thoughts that haven’t come into contact with fiber optic cable.

By seeing what’s mutable, they show us what we’ve all had in common (and it’s almost never what people insist is universal).