History makes you feel small

This past summer I was lucky enough to go to Italy for the second time in my life. After visiting Venice previously we decided to investigate Sorrento this year.

We love visiting historical sites in the countries we explore and decided to go on a trip around the Pompeii and Herculaneum excavation sites. The Herculaneum trip is where this story begins. The sun was blazing and our calm and unnaturally cool tour guide was pointing out all the beautiful mosaics and telling us about the people of that time. As she was gesticulating at a particularly vibrant and stunning mosaic something caught my eye. Now I am a very trigger happy photographer and whilst there was a lull I sought out this distraction and it was the picture below.

The words "History makes you feel small" is located in the blue band
Photograph by Sophie Brown 

A part of me was annoyed that someone had decided to graffiti these historical ruins but the other half of me couldn't help but love it. It was so very true and in a place like this, so very appropriate. History does make you feel small. When you look around at ruins and buildings that existed long before your great great great great grandparents were even born and realise that you are now walking on history it gives you strange feelings. You, whether you realise it or not, are both a significant and insignificant part of history. We are both shaping the world and barely leaving a dent. 

Allow me to explain. As I write this I am sat on a train. Now potentially tens of thousands of people use them each day. My journey isn't significant (not unless something goes wrong) and yet it is. In the future in a time where trains like the one I'm on are a thing of the past people will look back and say "Think of all those people who spent hours on those trains! Think of how slow they travelled and how they bought their tickets! Isn't it all very old fashioned?"

By being on this journey I am joining a nameless mass in history known as 'those people'. 

We do it all the time when we look back. Imagine how the Victorians lived. You don't say imagine how Jeff lived! No you imagine a mass of people milling about doing their daily routines.

Just a bit of food for thought. I'd like to thank that person that wrote on a wall at the Herculaneum. I don't know who you are or what you intended but it has been stuck in my brain ever since.

See you next time

Sophie