Sunday, April 5, 2009

A day late on this one, but not a dollar short.

sorry for the late response. I'll catch up. Busy day yesterday.

30 days of write question submitted to me on April 4th. "You wake up today and you are in the late 1800s. Your life is completely devoid of all of the technological comforts that we hold dear. No cell phones, no laptops, no Facebook, no television. What is your day like? Do you actually make it through the day without committing suicide?"

If I was to turn suicidal, it would have nothing to do with the loss of technology, and everything to do with the fact that, shit man, it's 1880, where is my family? Where are my friends? How did I get here?

I understand, however, that this is a hypothetical (albeit a difficult one to comprehend)

Suspending disbelief, if I am in the late 1800s all of a sudden (for one day), I would not just enjoy it, I would relish it. Everyday interpersonal interaction with people would mean so much more. I might not really like living in the reconstruction era, however, and I might be utterly confused.

You see, the real point of this blog has very little to do with my answer to this question, and apparently more to do with my pitiful lack of ability to suspend disbelief.

My answer to this question depends on what I really understand this question to mean. Here are some potential answers (kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure blog)


  • No technology, no memory of the 21st century, different family and friends in the late 1800s : Fine with me (but would I have ingrained knowledge of the necessary tools needed for daily life in a pre-Industrial Revolution society? I'm not very good with a plow, I presume)
Potential for suicide rating: 0.1/10

  • Magically arriving in the late 1800's for one day, then returning to 2009 in South Austin the next day : I wouldn't handle the no family and friends thing very well. I also think that the experience would be very strongly affected by the part of the world that I would be living in for that one day. Let's just say hanging out in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1871 would be a bummer.
Potential for suicide rating: 2/10

Potential for spending the day at the racetrack, betting on events in which I know the outcome of, and raking in the dough: 9.5/10

  • Magically arriving in the late 1800's, not knowing how you got there, and with no idea if you could ever return to the present: Again, with no concern over missing Facebook or television (maybe the band Television, but not the actual Television), I would freak the shit out. I would not see my fiance, my family, my bands, etc. In addition, I am probably pretty poor at farming, and the plumbing would really piss me off.
Potential for suicide rating: 5/10

Potential for spending the day at the racetrack, betting on events in which I know the outcome of, raking in the dough, acquiring incredible wealth, and seeing lots of wonderful operas: 8/10


4 comments:

tipsy texter said...

haha. yeah, that whole suspension of disbelief is a tough one for you, huh?

Sarah said...

I didn't even think about the sudden absence of family and friends! That's an excellent point. And I fully support your unwillingness to suspend your disbelief. If you really did wake up in the 1800's, you'd need that practicality, for sure.

I love how these topics lead each of the writers to a different and fascinating place!

sk said...

I totally missed the back to the future betting element, and the theater. I like the positives you found.

ChicagoRilke23 said...

i didn't even think of not having friends and loved ones around...

i like how you go through the diff. pros and cons of your time travel journey :)