Time Travel With A Twist

If you could go back in history or forward into the future, where would you go?  And what would you bring?

This is a question I recently saw printed in a magazine. I would absolutely prefer going back in time rather than into the future.  Let’s face it, nobody ever likes the future because it is different from the present.  Couple that with knowing when everybody you love (and you) dies, yeah -- I don’t need to know that.  So, it’s back to the past for me. More specifically, I think it would be cool to go back to the time when my parents were little.  It would be interesting to see first-hand what they were like when they were kids, as well as get to see the relatives up a few generations that we only know from pictures.

A follow-up question was What historic discovery would you most like to witness firsthand?  Nothing immediately came to mind for me – although I am sure there are many that would be cool.  Of course, I googled it for ideas and people seem to fall solidly into two camps with this: either they want to witness anything Biblical or an important juncture of a battle/war.  So much for faith and so much for positivity!  But then I came up with my own historical event: I would like to land right before the dinosaurs became extinct.  This way, I could see what nature was like with them and then I would find out what was the beginning of the end for them.  Was it one cataclysmic event or change in global temperature like we are seeing now or something else entirely?  I guess mine isn’t so positive either…

And perhaps my favorite follow-up question was If you were about to be transported to a random point in time, what would you bring? Here, a poll yielded some interesting answers.  41% of those answered said a Bible (perhaps so they would have a reference in the event that they got to witness one of those historical events?).  31% said antibiotics.  That one made me chuckle.  Are they thinking that they would share them?  Or just hoard them in case they picked up God-knows-what disease of yore.  I envision an entire medicine cabinet being hauled around just in case!  21% said a gun.  Although I am not a gun-toter in my present life, I have to admit that one might prove useful. And perhaps most interestingly, 3% of those polled said they would bring condoms.  I guess that might help cut down on the need for carrying around all those antibiotics…. As I mentioned, I like the idea of the gun, but if I could, I think I would bring my smartphone.  Now indulge me here: since we are talking about time-travel to begin with, I feel like I can have my cellphone and wifi so I can look things up as I encounter them – and of course, take pictures.

Where would you travel to and why?  And what would you bring?  Very insightful questions with very telling answers, indeed!

-- Eve