How Humanity Is a Consequence of Recognizing that True Value Can’t Be Owned
A reflection on “Treasure of Saint-Lazare” by John Pearce
In college, I had the privilege of taking the last history course by a professor who had survived Auschwitz. He showed us the tattoo. I’m eternally grateful that he made it out. His class changed my life.
I graduated in 2001. World War II ended in 1945. That’s a difference of 56 years. If my professor retired at age 65, that means he was 9 when the Nazis took him.
It’s sobering to take a moment to recognize how close we are to some of the most impactful moments of history. You can almost reach out and touch them. Today, Ruby Bridges is 69 years old. I sometimes wish that she was invited onto television every single day to give her perspective on how the world has changed, and how it has remained the same.
We’re surrounded by unappreciated treasures. I’m a writer, so I have a overdeveloped sense of affection for the written word. But forget about libraries for a moment, and instead invite an elderly person to coffee. Books are the best substitute when the person is gone, but there are many people out there who have seen things with their own eyes that you could never imagine.
