CAUTION(S)
THERE IS A GREAT RISK IN READING TOO MUCH INTO ISOLATED PIECES OF INFORMATION, REGARDLESS WHETHER IT'S AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT OR ONE PERSON'S PIECES OF MEMORY AS A GUIDE--MYSELF INCLUDED.
IMAGINE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT AN ELEPHANT LOOKS LIKE WITH ONLY A TOE, AN EAR, A FLANK, OR THE SNOUT AS CLUES. AVAILABLE RECORDS, IF WE'RE ABLE TO FIND ANY AT ALL, PROVIDE ONLY A MOMENTARY GLIMPSE INTO A SITUATION, OFTEN SUBJECT TO THE INTERPREATION OR LIMITATIONS OF THE PERSON RECORDING OR RECOLLECTING IT. PERSONAL STORIES AND RECOLLECRIONS ADD DEPTH, REVEAL PERSONALITIES, AND HELP TO ILLUMINATE A TIME THAT HAS PAST.
I HAVE TRIED TO BE DILIGENT IN RECORDING THE SOURCES OF MY INFORATION SO THAT IT CAB NE JUDGED BY MYSELF AND OTHERS AS TO ITS RELIABILITY. JUST BECAUSE A RECORD EXISTS DOES NOT MEAN IT WAS RECORDED ACCURATELY, WHETHER BY THE SCRIBE OR THE ORIGINAL PROVIDER.. BUT SUCH RECORDS ARE HELPFUL IN PROVIDING US WITH CLUES THAT COULD HELP VERIFY OUR ASSUPTIONS OR POINT US IN NEW DIRECTIONS.