That’s a real question. Do you think that you know a lot? I think I know a lot. Not a lot, a lot, but a lot. Wait, what?
I don’t mean I’m good at much, but I think my general knowledge of a lot of things is pretty good. Although, as I write this, I’m starting to think maybe not so much.
Here’s an example. I come from a military family, so I have a better than average knowledge of American history from a military standpoint. I’m not an expert, but I have a good working knowledge. I think I know a lot. After the United States was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, many Japanese-Americans were sent to internment camps in California. That’s what I know about it. That’s it.
books.google.com
Thanks to a recommendation on my blog a couple of days ago by Sunny Lanning, I started reading Farewell to Manzanar by James D. Houston and Jean Wakatsuki Houston. This story is a memoir about a family sent to an internment camp in the U.S. after Pearl Harbor. Guess what. They weren’t all in California.
It’s incomprehensible to me that I didn’t more about this important part of American history. And that I was satisfied in only knowing that much. This book is wonderful reading, but even the timeline at the beginning of the memoir shocked me. Every.single.point.on.the.timeline.shocked.me.
I don’t know a lot. But I’m learning.
saneteachers 
We never stop learning. We think we know everything then we learn a little bit more!
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Exactly! I’m always shocked at the things I don’t know. And I don’t mean like what food in Manchuria is like. I know that I don’t have a clue about that. But how many every day things that I don’t know. And here I am thinking I’m so well informed on so many things. I guess the day we stop learning is the day…….
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I’m going to put that one on my to-read list. It’s something I need to better educate myself about too. Thanks for the heads-up.
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I just sent your Goodreads giveaway info to some friends. I especially think the health teacher will love it and can use it for her classes. Can you put the link in a reply here so my readers can check it out, please?
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Oh, how nice of you. Thank you! Here’s the giveaway link: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/218878-eating-bull
🙂 🙂 🙂
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I just saw “Farewell to Manzanar” is a kid’s book, geared toward the age 10-12 range. Not something I’d usually read. Let me know how you like it, and I’ll take it from there. 🙂
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Perhaps because I’m used to reading a lot of young adult fiction for high school kids, it didn’t even occur to me, except that I thought it would be great for students, too. I like many young adult stories…I’m a sucker for a good coming-of-age story. My grandson read Diary of Anne Frank in 4th grade. I read it in high school and college. I’ll let you know as I keep going in this, but a great memoir about a time period of which I have embarrassingly little knowledge is a good pick for me. And this book is too hard for my level of ENL kids. This comment is becoming it’s own post, lol.
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Many of my comments become their own post…
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Lol
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I like to think I know a fair amount about history–more than the average person, at least. But then I read a new book, and am amazed at all the things I didn’t know.
For instance, I bragged to my best friend how much I knew about World War II. So she got me some WWII books for Christmas that detailed lots of things I never knew about. So I had to admit I didn’t know as much as I thought. Like Annie said above, “we never stop learning.”
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I so agree. It’s lowering sometimes to realize the gaps we have it areas in which we don’t think we have gaps.It also galls me when I find out that what I think I know is totally wrong. That’s embarrassing and I try to correct it asap.
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I liked that you tagged this post with “arrogance”. I might steal that for all of my posts lol
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hahaha Well……..
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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is another good read about this subject. It is historical fiction.
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Thanks! I’m adding it to my list….
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You hit the nail on the head, because I feel the same way. Avid, avid Jeopardy fan, and though I have been encouraged to try out[did online already], I am not convinced that my general knowledge base is up to that level…on TV. Guessing we are all somewhat ‘well-rounded’ and may have this knack for trivia and info on many areas. So, yes, I know a lot, but not a lot a lot! Great post.
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Thank you! And thanks so much for commenting 😃
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I find that the older I get, the less I really know. Glad you’re reading the book.
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I agree with both sentiments. Thanks.
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Any number of young adult books are good reading for those of us over the teenage years. This one looks like it belongs on my ‘to read’ list.
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I most certainly would not compare the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII to the internment of other groups, but others were interned during times of war. In WWI, over 29 musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra were held at Fort Oglethorpe.
My grandmother, whose parents were from Germany, lived in Chippewa Falls WI, a German speaking town. When the US declared war on Germany on April 2, 1917, the entire town stopped speaking German. Those who could not speak English, could not speak.
She did not speak German again until the 1970’s when my uncle took her to Germany. On the bus from the Frankfurt airport, she picked up the language again…. although missing words for all the things invented since 1917.
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That is incredibly interesting. You have so many wonderful stories. I know I’ve said this before, but you should tell these true stories on your blog. Or start a second one.
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There is always so much more to learn, if we are open to it. Our formal education is just the beginning….
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One of my favorite quotes I’ve ever heard is, “The more I know, the less I realize I know.” The more info I attain, there is always more and more information to process and gather that comes from it.
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That’s a great quote. Thank you for reading this and commenting 😃
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Glad to know I’m not the only one the knows what they know, and knows they need to know more. You know?
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I know, I know….
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Always good to be open to learning new things and building on what we already know.
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That’s very true.
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Can’t claim I know a lot. Especially since my brain is a sieve! One never stop learning.. only when you’re dead.:)
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Bingo.
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