timetravel

I was reading a story recently where one half of an unhappily married couple saw a glimpse of an alternative life. It inspired the end in a very civilised way of the marriage and they each found happiness with the other person from the glimpse.
It made me think of what things I could have done differently to change my life. I narrowed it down to 3 things: Going out with a boy at school I turned down, moving to city X rather than city Y after university, or moving nearer to my sister after she temporarily split from her partner.

I was reading a story recently where one half of an unhappily married couple saw a glimpse of an alternative life. It inspired the end in a very civilised way of the marriage and they each found happiness with the other person from the glimpse.

It made me think of what things I could have done differently to change my life. I narrowed it down to 3 things: Going out with a boy at school I turned down, moving to city X rather than city Y after university, or moving nearer to my sister after she temporarily split from her partner. I think all of these would have had a huge difference on the path my life took, and probably on those around me.

I would go back to the 1960s and enjoy and appreciate it more.

I wouldn't move from the present age. If you go back and rectify one set of mistakes you will simply make other, possibly worse, mistakes. It means living through the pain of sudden loss again and knowing that some things can never be changed and knowing that instead of living on hope for much of the time.

I want even less to move further back to the moral standards, attitudes etc of a previous age, especially as a woman. Not to mention cleanliness and hygiene, still less the smells and ordure.

As for the future, you will find out in advance the bad things that will happen that cannot be changed and suffer the pain of them even longer, as for changing things? It is much as before. You will rectify some errors onlt to make others.

Asfor happiness -that lives in memory and anticipation, without any of the less good things that might have surrounded them or may surround them.

I had a great grandfather who was born into a poor family in the south west of England in the 1870's. He was given a job as an errand boy by a local clergyman, who was sent to work in the north west and took the boy with him when he went. This clergyman and his wife had no children, and in those pre-welfare state days, philanthropy was encouraged.My great grandfather was given an education - possibly by the clergyman himself? - as a result of which he went to Oxford to study science, and later achieved a successful academic career. Patrick Bronte, father of Charlotte, also came from a agricultural labouring family (in Ireland) and was also encouraged and supported in a similar way.I would love to talk to this relative (who died three years before I was born) about what it was like for him to cross what was, in the nineteenth century, such a huge social divide; and to be able to give his son opportunities his own father could never have dreamed of.

I'd like to go back my teenage years. I'd tell myself that having a boyfriend (anyone would do) was not important. I spent a year with someone I didn't really like just for the status amongst my friends. Instead I'd study, get my 'A' levels and go to art college to study textiles.

I would like to go back to the swinging 60's loved that time. Everything was so new and exciting, could wear the clothes that were in fashion and wish I could have some of them now though do see a lot of clothes now in shops which are like the style we had then
I would also go back to when my children were young in the 70's would love to see my late son again and do things differently.
Oh for a crystal ball.

This thread makes great reading. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

I would ĺìke to see a small amount of my personal future....just enough to see my 2 lovely step-grand daughters grow up.

I often wonder what scientific changes will develop over the next 100 years or so.
I'm thankful for the times that I've lived through and Wonder at the many changes that have happened during my Lifetime.

I did the same as you Teetime and wasted my time my Grammar school. Now I would like to go back and live how they did in the 'Miss Read' books or 'Darling Buds of May'. Much simpler lifestyle than today.

Quite happy with where I am here and now, and would not opt for time travel in either direction. Yes, of course there are things in the past I wish I hadn't done, but even if I went back to change them, here would still be other mistakes I would make along the way. It's all part of the human condition, and we tend to learn far more when things go wrong than when everything works out fine. No Tardis for me, thanks... :-)

This thread reminded me of when my children were small and often preferred my own made-up bedtime stories to those in books. One saga which ran and ran was about the adventures of 2 time travellers, Heatheropterox and Andropolos(!)...We were into Asterix at the time . Improvising a new scenario every night certainly kept me on my toes!

This is such a lovely thread. Thank you for it. I would love to go back to when I was a child. I was born in 1936. I loved my mother's stories about the poverty when she was a child. Her mother died when mum was 14 and she was left to look after a 12 year old sister and a 4 year old brother. Makes me realise just how lucky I am. I had a wonderful 50 year marriage and a truly lovely husband. I would love to experience it all again.

We need more lovely threads like this one. ??

Know just what you mean Gillybob....

If I went back in time, how I would do things differently!! A lot of things are very painful to remember. I have to face my demons head on and then live for me NOW. All actions have consequences and we sometimes have to deal with them years later. Make amends if we can and try to live today as best we can. We all have a journey but mine is staying in today, not tomorrow.

In my head I get cross that I won't know what's going on in the future, that I've possibly got only anything between now and 30 years left yo see what happens.

I try not to regret anything in the past. We made our decisions, did what we thought was right at the time. No-one is perfect, nor is life! I am so grateful that I went ahead and had the unexpected baby - I had never wanted any. Our lives changed completely and now I wonder what on earth would have happened if I had decided to have an abortion. My children have been the best thing that ever happened to me.
I would not want to go back in time, as previous posts have said the life of a poor woman was not something to be desired. Nor would I like to go forward, tempting as it is to see how my grand child/ren will grow up. Unfortunately at the moment, the word in general is not looking too rosy. Let's hope it all turns out better than we fear.

All those things would be very interesting but I think I would settle for going forward a week and coming back to the prospect of a surefire euromillions win!

I'd love to be able to go back and spend time with my beloved parents and grandparents; also when my children were small. I'd certainly have made some different decisions but whether that would have made life better who knows

I would go back in time ,there are many things I would do differently.There was a great series about a man time travelling to save JFK -it was excellent.It was called '11.22.63'
If anyone fancies it.

I would like to go back in time, not to change anything, but to see what life was like for my mother's mother's mother (etc.) 1000, 10,000 and 1,000,000 years ago. Perhaps back to the swamp, if I was wearing appropriate shoes.

It would certainly put our own troubles in perspective- and not just in terms of finding suitable shoes!

I used to watch 'Quantum Leap', many years ago and vividly remember an episode where the main character went back in time and spoke to his father on the phone. It was so moving and I thought how wonderful it would be if I we could do the same and talk to our loved ones again.

Leesa, I read Stephen King's book '11.22.63' and I agree that it really is excellent. Recommended.

Read "All Our Wrong Todays" by Elan Mastai - it's brilliant

I am content with the time and space that I am in now. It's been hard getting here and we have recently gone through an horrendously stressful time but have come out in the other side stronger and happier than for a very long time. My husband and I can now look forwards to a long retirement with no workload stress!
However, I do like to reflect on the past, we can learn from our experiences and use them to take us forwards in life.
So I don't want to time travel, but I want to learn from the past, both good and bad experience so that I can take that knowledge with me as I live adventurously and let my life speak in the future!

I would love to be 'regressed' and have it recorded so that when I came round I could see if there have been any times I have felt a sort of déjà vu that I could connect with whilst in the state of regression. I am weirdly overwhelmingly drawn to farm buildings and court yards. .

When talking of Time Travel I can't help but think of Nicolas Lyndhurst playing Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart. I think if I were in his shoes and could time travel I would spend most of my time in Bookies , could have made a fortune.

I would only go back in time using time travel if I could specify the time and place to visit. I would not want to know what the future holds, far too scary and sad for my liking.