If it were possible to travel in time where would I go? Would I go back in time? Would I explore the world of the future? Would I want to travel at all?
If I were to travel back, I don’t think I would want to visit a time before I existed. I think I would be disappointed.
I like the Hollywood image of days gone by. I like the Olde England of Jane Austin, and I’d rather see my dinosaurs on TV, not face to face.
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For I am sure – no, certain that the images that inhabit our minds bear no relation to the sounds, smells and sights of the past. Ours is a clinical view. A cleaned up impression of a time before basic hygiene was invented, and the streets of our cities reeked with the stench of squalor and disease. No, I don’t want to go there.
There are times in my life I would like to revisit. Predictable moments. The birth of my children. Any of my wedding days - with the benefit of foresight!! Holidays, high days, happy days, hip hip hooray days!
It’s interesting to look at the old movies that tried to visualise today. And to read books such as 2001 which got it so wrong, so no, I don’t want to go in to the future.
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I want to believe that Mr Spock will be a Vegan – or is it a Vulcan? I don’t want to discover that the green doom-mongerers were right all the time, and there will be no future for mankind. I don’t want to find out whether or not there is a heaven! I don’t want to see tomorrow’s news today thank you very much.
Because today is not so bad. In fact today is pretty good. As far as I am concerned you travel in time at your peril.
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I would go back... to change things I said... but you're right. We think the grass is always greener... it's fine where we are right now.
ReplyDeletevery nice essay... but i still wanna go.....
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, i wouldn't want to time travel
ReplyDeleteI will tell you why I really really like what you said!
ReplyDeleteWe don't concentrate and appreciate "today" enough in our lives. We are all wanting, wishing or regretting and missing. You are right Keith- TODAY is pretty good, we should all relish in that fact each day. :))
Thanks Keith, for visiting my blog , hmmm well I can tell you the 'secret "what is this?"' from my abstract photography, of this weekend.... a the bottom of this comment I will..
ReplyDeleteAnd the Canadian(writer) female friend's name is "Rebecca", so when you see/hear from her, she is "the one". OK?
I Love really to see this old "what is it" oldtimers scootmobil? Here they call this a 'scootmobil' my mom is driving in one A more modern looking 'scootmobil'), because she is not able to walk that far anymore... and she is having no driving licence for a regular car , can you imagine her sitting in a car like this? I can!!
Have a good weekend :) JoAnn
( the photo what it is...."the ceiling of my livingroom at evening, so the shadows are from a lamp, and the plant" Sssssstt don't tell anyone , not yet!
Very well written, very well said and I have to say we do travel in time at our own peril. I think time traveling would be fun but more so just to come back to what you are familiar with.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you -- we yearn for a past that we believe to be slower and kinder -- and which it may be in some ways, but it is also a less sanitary time, with very high mortality rates for all ages. And let's not forget civil and voting rights that still needed to be fought for, or how long a trip from Boston to Los Angeles would take by train!We have very selective memories here in 2008!! Love the phrase "any of my wedding days"!!
ReplyDeletethere's nothing like the present, is there? very well put..thanks Keith.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, I like it here too, lovely post as always and excellent photo! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI loved the photo...and u're post hits the nail right on its lil head, hard and sure...
ReplyDeletethe present is the place to be...for better or for worse...
I read your other post too - nice job - I tend to agree there is no where better than here (home) but I wouldn't mind being present in different time periods for just a 'glimpse' -maybe be a female pharoah for a day? great read.
ReplyDeletethe way you put it I don't want to go either anymore and yes would love to visit my hip hip hooray days too. That would be great
ReplyDeletevery, very well put. Anne Frank said something about finding the beauty that is right here, right now. I know how important it is and still find myself wandering around in the past or present.
ReplyDeleteWell done! I love the way you've looked at various times and how you chose NOT! Laughed at visiting weddings with the pill of foresight! Nice post!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! Reminiscing about the past is one thing; actually returning to it, quite another. And I'll take my future as it comes, moment by moment...
ReplyDelete