The current generation is one that is often criticized for moving too fast. With the rapid speed of social media, communication and entertainment, it is hard for anything to slow down. Unfortunately, this high-speed pace makes certain events, both celebratory and tragic, fall through the cracks.
The most recent event that shocked the world, leaving it in paralyzed fear and disbelief, was the terrorist attack in Paris.  But that event, along with the 130 lives lost, seems like an afterthought. Undoubtedly, the tragedy is still remembered and the healing is not complete. However, too many people thought about it just long enough to change a profile picture, before allowing the event to dissipate from memory.
Looking back decades, even centuries prior, the world was a different place, and people regarded history with a heavier sentiment.  Events like the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, the sinking of the Titanic, the bombings of Pearl Harbor and the Twin Towers are ingrained into the memories of millions as events of tragic history. Today, it seems as if nothing will stand the test of time and wean itself into the drawer of history. It feels as if everything is moving so rapidly that regardless of how important or magnanimous an event is, it is quickly turned into an afterthought.
This unfortunate situation is not just because the speed of the world, but also because of the way news is reported. In sports, for example, media outlets like ESPN often report “broken records” that are trivial, over specific and superficial. Because so much irrelevant “history” is being made on a daily basis, phenomenal performances are quickly overlooked and forgotten.
History cannot be appreciated or remembered if the full context is not appreciated.  
Many people say that today’s youth need to stop and smell the roses. Rather than stopping and smelling the roses, maybe people should stop and recognize the history, celebrating the glorious moments and mourning the tragic events that occur around the world.  These events are too important and affect too many people to make a brief appearance on Twitter and then disappear from memory.  Slow down and appreciate the history that is being made, today.
art by Erin Barchet