Journal Entry #7: "The Best When"

Journal Entry #7: "The Best When"

Assuming for a moment that you could transport anyone you wanted, where and when would you live? No society that you know even a little about is off limits. You might want to consider quality of life, societal expectations of men and women, health, access to education, and recreation. Enjoy!

When I first thought about where I would go, I thought I should go back about 100 years, and change the course of current history. I could prevent assassinations, wars, and serious violent occurrences. I could even witness events such as Woodstock. But when I think about it, how could I do any of this? If I were to go around town saying "President Kennedy is going to be assassinated!" or "Keep an eye on that Hitler, I’ve got a bad feeling about that guy." I’d probably be pegged as some sort of lunatic. I can’t see anybody believing a 17-year old who says such things. Wouldn’t it be amazing if they did though?

Next I thought of going back to some ancient times. I took 16th Century History last year, so I have at least some knowledge of several civilizations. I would love to see the gladiators fight in the Roman Colosseum, witness the ancient pyramids of Egypt as they’re being built, or admire the Hanging Gardens of Babyon. But then I realize that I would have to live in these places, and I don’t think I could do that. Coming from such a technologically advanced time and going to one that is so inferior by comparison would be extremely difficult. Plus I wouldn’t have the money necessary to live in a decent way. I would probably end up as some sort of a slave or servant if I went to any of these times. In Roman times, that would mean I’m the Colosseum entertainment, and I’m not built to be a gladiator!

If I were given the opportunity to travel back in time, I think I would do something extremely boring by comparison. I would go back a few decades, maybe 30 or 40 years. I could use my knowledge of things now to really benefit myself. That sounds extremely selfish, but oh well. I could invest in Microsoft, and a variety of other companies. I’d set up some sort of bank account with that money for future (current) me to use, assuming I could transport back. I’d also meet my grandpa, considering he died 4 months before I was born. I heard he was a great man. I also think it would be cool to meet my parents back when they were my age and spend some time with them. Microsoft was founded about the same time as when my parents were my age, so that’s killing two birds with one stone. I really thought that this would have come off as more interesting of a response, considering I talked about so many interesting possibilities sooner. Oh well. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

On a side note, I apologize for the lateness of my journal entries. I don’t really have an excuse for it, but honesty is the best policy, right? I will have entry 8 in for tomorrow.

"Alright, Then How About This . . ."