"All the Little People"

Shifting Perspective in Historical Writing (even if just for fun)

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I have collected books since I was a child. I still have a bunch of Golden books my grandniece (who I believe to be grand in many ways) still reads. One of the biggest sections of my personal library is the history section with about 300 books. I love history. No, not because of the wars and battles and dates and proclamations and stuff. I love history because of the people. I don't mean the "important" people. Sure, I am fascinated by the craziness of the Tsars, the cruelty of the later Caesars and the bravery of the explorers, but I am also interested in the ordinary lives of people in the past.

If you love, history here is an interesting exercise:

 A king cannot rule by fiat alone. He must have others help him. From people to keep track of the treasure room to someone to turn down the bed at night, "important" people usually have a cadre of lesser lights who brighten the path before they walk it. Write a diary in the character of one of these "little people." Some possibilities:

You are a maid in the Nixon White House during Watergate

You are a servant to King David

You are a shield bearer for a Pharaoh

You are a student of Socrates

You are an assistant to Thomas Edison

You are an assistant to Charles Finney

You were a communications officer during the Apollo 13 crisis

You can probably think of others. Choose a historical character that fascinates you and join their entourage.