Historical puzzle pieces???

My short stories, set in the mid 60's - mid 70's, fit into the framework of an historical novel. Putting together a timeline of historical events from that era has stirred up more memories to fictionalize. Thinking of these pieces as a historical novel helps me clarify each short piece and uncover themes to tie the pieces together. I don't anticipate these short stories as a novel, but as a series of pieces relevant to the issues of today. It is exciting to see the puzzle pieces come together to form 'the big picture' and to see how issues 45 to 50 years ago are still relevant today. It's also somewhat depressing to realize we have not resolved them.