i thought of eduardo galeano as i wrote it because eduardo galeano has always been conscious of the ways that history defines us, living in the past as i have done for a few years i understand why eduardo galeano looks at the present through history, in history we see ourselves more clearly, we understand that we are in errors of of brutality that came before us but as eduardo galeano also knows, history can show us glimmers of humanity and courage as well. the meat can be heroic, the ordinary among us can be noble, the most humble acts in our fortitude of spirit. to the heart of bolivia trying to understand what he came to represent as a quintessential an american hero, are always had that eduardo galeano tension in mind, the shining spirit on the one hand and the all too dark human proclivities on the other. looking at the world this way as eduardo galeano does, with a keen eye to human failings, human courage and the misuses of power, i was able to get a clear picture of eduardo galeano's time and our history shaped latin america. so i have eduardo galeano to thank as so many of us do