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Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Observing History

The other day my brother and I went for a walk in the woods, and as we are wont to do, we discussed a great many things, among them this: What if you could go back in history - as an observer only - and witness an historical event? What event would you want to be a witness to?

I immediately thought of JFK's assassination because who wouldn't like to know if Lee harvey Oswald really fired those shots from the book conservatory, and was there someone else on the grassy knoll?


My brother said the life of Jesus Christ and aftermath, which surprised me since he's totally not religious. But just imagine if you could follow him around and hear what he really said, see who wrote down his words most accurately and, did Judas really betray him? Or how about Muhammad? Imagine being there when he received the word of God through Gabriel? Wouldn't it be enlightening to know just what those words were - assuming of course one could understand the language spoken?

Or, how about being an observer of the FBI for the sixth months prior to Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination? Imagine the secrets you'd be privy to.

Roswell might be another interesting choice. How cool would it be to see an actual space ship or maybe even some real live (or dead) aliens.

Oh, oh, or how about when Cleopatra supposedly poisoned herself?! Did she? Didn't she? And was it an asp or some other snake? Or, how about the Mary Celeste? Wouldn't you just love to find out what really happened to her and her passengers and crew?

Or - omg, why didn't I think of this first?! - what if you could visit the library at Alexandria, before it perished. That would be something.

Anyway, these are the sorts of interesting discussions my brother and I sometimes have while walking in the woods. When would you go? What event are you dying to know more about? 




43 comments:

  1. My answer would be your brother's. I do believe and to hear Him speak firsthand - wow. It would be mind blowing and so inspiring.

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    1. I was surprised by my brother's answer since he's very much the scientist.

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  2. You got me with the library. O.M.Gosh! That would be A-mazing! Can you imagine it? I'd probably faint. And yeah, I'm with Alex. To follow Him around and just listen...

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    1. The library would be very cool - but only if you had a translator with you since I rather doubt anything was written in a language any of us would understand.

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  3. So many places/times I'd like to witness like George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Or perhaps, even further back hanging with Dinosaurs doing the Land of Lost thing.

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    1. Definitely seeing real historical figures as they really were would be very cool.

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  4. Too many things to choose from. Since anything I observed wouldn't change history so knowing "the truth" wouldn't necessarily influence anyone's opinion, I think I'd steer clear of controversies like "Jesus Christ" or "Lee Harvey Oswald." Instead I'd do something selfish with my one trip back in time. I would observe the dinosaurs in the flesh eating, hunting, and just being dinosaurs (as long as I was protected and was just an observer). I'd even want to see the big undersea ones like Megladon and the Mosasaurus.

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    1. See, I'm surprised my brother didn't say this, because he loves dinosaurs - or at least he did :)

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    1. Ooh, that would be an interesting event to witness.

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  6. I think I would go down the dinosaur path too. It would be amazing to see.

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    1. It would be. I remember how amazed I was at the CG dinos in Jurassic Park. Imagine how awestruck you would be by the real thing!

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  7. Oh, you know I would sit in the Globe Theater and watch Shakespeare mouth the actors' lines while watching them perform Macbeth from the wings.

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  8. So many things to visit especially military and historic deaths and could we stop them and see history and time change.

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    1. well, the rules my brother and I made were that you could only observe what actually happened. I'd personally be afraid to change anything.

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  9. Globe Theatre, back when the Bard was still kicking. I'd love to have seen Hamlet back then.

    I'd also love to go back to Massachusetts around the time of the Salem Witch Trials and see what really happened.

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    1. The Globe Theatre yes, the Salem Witch Trials, no. That would be horrible to watch, especially if you couldn't do anything - for me.

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  10. This feels low brow compared to the choices of others but cultural history is important, too...

    The first ever screening of The Wizard of Oz. I'd love to know what it was like for the world to hear Judy Garland sing "Over the Rainbow" for the very first time.

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    1. There are no low brow answers here and cultural history IS important! How about seeing the Sistine Chapel right after Michelangelo finished painting it? That would be pretty amazing.

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    2. Good one!

      Or how about the day Sgt. Pepper was released? Or Jackie Robinson's first major league game? Or a Parliament concert during their heyday?

      I've also thought it would be fun to visit certain cities at interesting times in their history: Vienna in the late 19th century or Nagasaki in the late 16th century.

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    3. Wait, there was a real Sgt. Pepper?!!!

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    4. No, no, no... I mean the day the album was released.

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  11. I'd like to see Anne Boleyn and figure out how she managed to hold King Henry's attention for so long without ... you know.

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  12. What a fun conversation!!! I think I'd like to observe Leonardo and watch that mind at work :)

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  13. You have so many great ideas! And I love that most of them would answer mysteries and expand your knowledge. I have no idea when I'd like to travel back to. I'm barely keeping up with modern times as it is! LOL

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  14. To visit the very first bakery, or to visit the first person to make a loaf of yeast-risen bread.

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  15. I wouldn't choose just one destination. My goodness, there is so much I want to see...which is why I have to get my time machine working. And my teleportation device. Time to crack down on the scientists locked in the basement.

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    1. Hahaha, locked in the basement. That's good stuff.

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    2. I agree; there's a lot to check out so it would be hard to to choose just one time to visit.

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  17. Oh, Roswell, most definitely! And of course, the Alexandria Library, or the creation of Stonehenge.

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    1. Oh that would be cool, to watch the building of Stonehenge, see how they really did it.

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  18. Knowing me, I probably wouldn't go back, because lawless times scare me :) not that ours are lawful :) but I'd go into future! Far far into the future! If I had to go into the past, maybe some naughty times where everybody walked naked and had orgies every day :)

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    1. The idea was to go back as an observer only, not as a participant - cuz that could be dangerous!!! Going into the future would be pretty neat too :)

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  19. I can't narrow it down to just one. If I really had to Mayflower's arrival or the revolution starting with the Tea party. Walking through the woods always made me feel centered, I wish I had some here.
    I hope you were able to get a new vehicle and are no longer taking a perilous journey when you have to drive somewhere.

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    1. The Mayflower's arrival would be pretty cool to witness and I love having woods next door I can walk through. So does my dog :)

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