Oh boy, here I go again

I have frequently written about lots of things that have come to pass in my lifetime, and I'm grateful for every single one of them.  Like space travel for instance.  However, this morning I found I was contemplating things that have happened in the past,  way...way...in the past.  And, how I wish I could have been there to see how they came into being.

For instance, I've seen loads and loads of pictures of how history has recorded the building of the Pyramids.  It's fascinating.  I wonder exactly how it was done.  It supposedly took thousands and thousands of workers toiling in horrible heat, enduring insects, little water, and tons and tons of blood, sweat and tears.  But, who in the world cut all those stones, and where did they come from.  Would not that job alone taken hundreds of years working with only primitive tools like chisels and hammers.  Frankly, I just don't get it.  And, I've seen pictures of how they moved all those rocks, rolling them over large round logs.  Seriously, did they roll them all the way from where the rocks were cut and shaped to where the pyramids were built?  How long would that have taken?  The Pharaohs were not that long on the planet...how the heck did they accomplish building not just one....but several...of these huge objects.  I tell ya, I simply don't get it.

Consider the Appian Way.  What an engineering marvel that was.  There was road that stretched over 200 miles, more than 20 feet wide in some places and slightly convex for water run off.  Who thought to do that?  Did he/she get some kind of award for that?  They certainly should have.  They didn't have earth movers, back hoes, or huge diesel powered trucks to haul those rocks down the road as they went, I suppose they used horses and wagons instead.  What about the laborers?  Did they hire men as they went, or did they have permanent workers.  And, how many of those men stood around leaning on shovels?  Somehow I doubt there were any of those.  I suspect the working conditions were much better for those who built the Appian Way compared to the Pyramids, still it was hard, hot, unappreciated labor.  Were they paid laborers, or criminals and slaves? 

Let's move on to Medieval Times, and all those castles and magnificent cathedrals.  I've a book with pop up pages of the workings of a castle.  What a marvel.  Although by modern engineering means, castles and cathedrals are quite primitive, they were also very complex.  And...very, very well constructed.  They've withstood centuries of inclement weather, natural disasters, and wars.  We can walk their halls and beautiful rooms, and I wonder about the people who inhabited these structures.  Did they ever imagine about the future?  Oh, a few minds did perhaps, the dreamers, Galileo, Newton,  and Columbus for example.  Could they possibly have known how important the roll they played would be for us today?  I think not.

Then, moving on to Infant America.  I've been to Boston, and walked the Freedom Trail and although a few of the original builds are there and are being preserved, modern Boston over powers it.  I've been to the replica of the Plimoth Plantation, where the Pilgrims settled, it's a marvel to see.  I've walked the deck of the Mayflower, or at least the likeness of her.  There are other cities, too, that have preservation areas of early America.  Philadelphia.  Williamsburg.  But I have to wonder, will they be around for as long as the Pyramids, the Appian Way, Medieval castles and cathedrals?  I sincerely hope they will so that in the Land of Far, Far Away some other Rambling Old Woman will be saying, "Oh boy, here I go again."