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My daughter's play is this week. They are doing an adaptation of "The Time Machine" by HG Wells. Yes, I know, you never expected that story to work as a stage play. But it's quite entertaining... of course this group of middle school kids are so funny they could make "Citizen Kane" entertaining. (Quite possibly the most boring movie I've ever suffered through. It was a SLED?)
Anyway, watching a 3' tall Mr. Filby (I think he came up to Weena's armpit) transport himself to the future got me thinking. And not just thinking, "Why does Mr. Filby's time machine look like a wheelchair with a sit-n-spin on top?" It really got me thinking about time travel.
Now, I've thought about time travel before. I've loved reading books (surprised?) about time travel. Some of my favorites are "Timeline", "Gideon the Cutpurse", "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", and of course all of the "Time Warp Trio" books. I'm actually reading another one now, "London, Calling".
So, here I am, watching 13 year old Morlocks wearing dark blue garage mechanic jumpsuits and thinking, "Where would I go?" If I could travel in time, where would I want to go?
I'm not nearly as brave as Mr. Filby. I'm NOT traveling to a future that I know nothing about. What if I punch in the numbers 2100 just to find out that the Earth is a giant cubic zirconia? No thanks. At least with history, I know what's happening. Mostly.
So, where would I want to go? I'm kind of a wimp. I don't want to end up somewhere I am immediately run through with a broadsword, burned at the stake for appearing out of thin air, or run over by a trebuchet. I've read the books, remember. I've seen the movies too. As soon as the time traveler shows up, it's all chaos and life-threatening.
I have a better idea Mr. Filby. How about time travel where you can look but not touch. Kinda like walking into Tiffany's. I'd love to go see history, but not let it see me. How about seeing Queen Elizabeth I, or watching the pharoahs of Egypt, or hearing the Roaring 20s?
Hmmm. What would you go see?
1 comments:
Oo! I love this question! Time travel is so fascinating, yet I'd be weary of going any where. The same stories worry me as you already mentioned - like Timeline and even back to the future! But honestly, if I had the choice I would still do it. I'd love to see some of my/our ancestors living their average, daily lives.
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