I love history. As a curious person by nature, studying history provides a never-ending search for – among other things – truth. This is one of the reasons I decided to take the peacebuilding class in Derry. I wanted to broaden my understanding beyond what I could read in a book and actually see, hear, and feel what it is like in this place. I wanted to learn from people who have played a role in The Troubles and then recognize how they choose to move beyond and forge ahead.
As usually happens in an interesting quest, I’ve encountered a challenge that tests my ability to move forward. Namely, that which baffles all students of history: what is truth? Of course, we all know that those in power dominated the narrative of the past. But what about living people who experience the same situations and have different interpretations? “Life is complicated,” falls so far short of understanding the issues involved here, it’s a ridiculous thing to say. Each person I meet has a different story to tell; a different perspective of what living was, and is, like in Derry. I realize this is not unusual in the world, nor is it unexpected, but I wonder how to navigate what I’ve been taught and read. When do I accept information and assimilate it into my own sense of truth? This is a struggle faced by everyone interested in understanding how things are the way they are.
As I walked the city walls, visited museum exhibits and churches, viewed the beautiful stained glass windows in the Guildhall, and felt the wind blowing rain at me on the Peace Bridge as I watched the water moving swiftly in the River Foyle beneath my feet, I realized that I’m completely overwhelmed by the complex layers of historical events, political manipulation, and fundamental beliefs written into the DNA of the people of Ulster.
I’m not deterred, but I need to find a way to make the process of learning accessible. So, I’ve decided to go back to the basics. Well, but even the most basic thing – the name of the city – has baggage. Derry or Londonderry? Then it hit me. On my way back to the hotel this afternoon, I remembered the first exhibit at the Tower Museum. The Irish name of the early settlement had been Doire. A place of oakgroves.
This city was founded over 1,500 years ago in a forest of oaks. How wonderful. Oak trees are beautiful and strong. They can live through centuries of wind and rain, and symbolize nobility and wisdom. They also attract lightning. An oak tree can withstand thunderous electric violence that shakes it to the roots. But it can survive and continue on to become stronger than ever.
Exhibit wall mural in the Tower Museum
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