A random notion...

I have decided that the world of Academia appeals to me. I would like to become a published Historian. There is a problem with this though and I feel that I need to address it publicly. I will never be the sterotypical historian. 'There's a stereotype?' I hear some of you wonder. Yes, there's a stereotype. The archetypal historian dresses largely in tweed and seems to be in the same hideous beige shirt every time you see him so either he never washes the shirt or he has about 5 of them on a rota system. There's a lingering odour that hangs over him which is composed of a delicate mixture of must and pipe tobacco. Neither of which smells especially wonderful and, when together smells...like an historian. It's a vicious cycle. Their offices are tardises of fascination- time warps piled high with books in tall bookshelves you know no man can reach without the aid of a crane, curious paintings hanging on the walls and, placed on their windowsil a picture of themselves posed in front of a landmark of interest, sunburnt with an interesting choice of hat, sunglasses on strings and that beige shirt...this time with the sleeves rolled up to cool off the forearm. Dust lingers in the air, chilling out with the must-abbacco scent which at this point, is flirting outrageously with the smell rising from the 5 almost empty coffee mugs on his desk from the previous week.
Historians are a curious breed. Mercifully, my lecturers don't wear tweed and they don't smell of must-abbacco. If they have a beige shirt, they don't wear it every day though their offices are still portals of wonder filled with random objects and that tourist picture...the coffee mugs are omnipresent features also. Beverage art.
Most of my lecturers are the exception, actually. I have one who never failed to make his audience chuckle. He announced at the beginning of a seminar on WW1 that he had, that morning, read an article in the local rag about how Historians ought to be stand up comedians. The professor then went onto explain that, for him, such a notion was not that easy. "What do they expect me to say?? Did you hear the one about the Somme?!" =)
I like to imagine that when I become a published historian/Secondary School History teacher that I stand out to the people I teach. I hope they go on to remember me as that one who didn't wear tweed and bore them to tears- the one who made them laugh and made them enjoy the lessons even if they weren't the biggest fans of History. Anyway, that's my random notion for today.