Time Travel
I'm thinking anyone who visits a site called The League of Reluctant Adults has to have considered the possibility at one time or another. Could people travel through time? Where would they go? Who would they try to meet? If this was possible, what impact would that have on the past? The future? And, perhaps most important, the variety of Blizzard flavors at Dairy Queen?
I'm not sure I'd take the leap. Grace isn't one of my virtues, and sure as the Time Guide told me to stay on the path, I'd fall off and smash a beetle. Bam. End of the world as we know it.
However, I would like to visit a few places, just to see if my theories hold. Like, I'm pretty sure many sites that seem simple and romantic now (like eighteenth century England) smelled strongly of perspiration and poo. I'd also be quite interested to see if anybody had the majority of their teeth beyond the age of twenty back then. And if I could meet anybody from history--well, I don't know. That's a lot of names to choose from. Who would you pick?
I'm not sure I'd take the leap. Grace isn't one of my virtues, and sure as the Time Guide told me to stay on the path, I'd fall off and smash a beetle. Bam. End of the world as we know it.
However, I would like to visit a few places, just to see if my theories hold. Like, I'm pretty sure many sites that seem simple and romantic now (like eighteenth century England) smelled strongly of perspiration and poo. I'd also be quite interested to see if anybody had the majority of their teeth beyond the age of twenty back then. And if I could meet anybody from history--well, I don't know. That's a lot of names to choose from. Who would you pick?
Comments
This might sound strange, but I'd love to go back in time and meet my dad when he was in his twenties. He's led such a colorful life and he refuses to tell me a lot of the stories (which makes me believe "colorful" is way too polite a word to describe his early years).
Who would I like to meet? I'd have to say Albert Einstein. He's the only one that comes to mind at the moment. Johannes Kepler would be cool too. I am an Astronomy and Physics major, so meeting these scientists would be an epic win for me.
I've thought about this a few times and going back to meet important historical figures doesn't appeal to me, the romantic poets though...they've always been important to me, even if they were the junkie rock stars of their day.
I feel like if I were able to get that sense of how it actually grew and evolved, I could really capture that sense of history in my work. And there would be that sense that it was "my" town. I'd probably pick a small-ish town in the south somewhere.
Not so interested in meeting historical people. I'm assuming they would probably get one look at the way I dress or hear me talk and think I'm insane and have me locked away.
I'd want to trade aphorisms with NIetzsche, but since all I can say in German is "vegetable soup" and "I would like an Andalusian stallion," I suppose conversation would be limited."
I can help you with your German. Try: Eine Beer, bitte!
Enjoy your beer. That's all the Army and 2 tours of Germany taught me.
Plus, I'd have to remember not to do something that would change history. Unless it meant I could come back to the present filthy rich. That would work.
Linda
It would be a tricky thing to work with as you'd also have different memories so would you be changed in a sudden rush of time catching up or would you cause brain injury etc.
I suppose were it possible I'd like to have a meal with people like my Grandfather who I didn't get to know that well before he passed the veil. I suppose one of those who would you invite to a meal.
Other than that Im always one that would like to get to see things on a practical level, I hate being told that things were done this way or that but its educated guesses, I want to see the real thing such as everyday trades and clothing. Perhaps not that adventurous I suppose but I'd find it facinating.
Who would I meet or what would I do? I agree with Gareth; I would check out periods in history to see if modern theories about How They Did Stuff stand up to the reality and talk to the people for whom all that Stuff was a reality. Things like - if medieval and renaissance women really go without underwear; if oral and personal hygeine during the Elizabethan period was truly worse in the upper classes than for the lower classes; the comparison of rights afforded to the populace between the medieval, renaissance, Georgain, Victorian and modern periods; by what degree did life improve for a labourer after The Plague devestated the popuation.
You know, meaningless stuff like that. ;)