Aliens

[felicula]

mechanchaos posed an interesting question to me today. What if aliens came and told you that they could take the essence of what is you now and place it into the body of your younger self at the point in time of your choosing? Would you do it? What point would you choose? What would you do differently?

Wow. What an opportunity. I like my husband, my son, and my current friends. Still, I'm not that comfortable with some aspects of myself and of my past.

I think I'd likely go back to the day before I was to begin high school. With the knowledge and confidence that I have today, I would be more involved in my studies and at least partly more outgoing. I'd love to go into chorus unafraid to sing out. I'd like to spend more time on both art and music. I'd be less likely to slack in science. I'd be more likely to date!

The trickiest part would be slowly integrating who I am now, like my love of Japanese cooking, and associated interests in learning Japanese. I'd likely want to try to get into martial arts in some way. Knowing that I'm prone to heaviness, I'd have the opportunity then to try to be more active. I don't know how successful I'd be, but I'd try.

One of my goals would be to do better in my schoolwork and apply to many more colleges and universities. I'd want to keep up with singing, regardless of my major. I'd want to get and stay active. I have a lot more self confidence now than I did then. I'd be more social. Perhaps I'd have even spent enough time dating to want to go to the prom.

It would be weird to be in a body that hadn't yet hit the hormonal need for sex. The again, I'm not that sexual a person as it is. Having a kid slowed that down for me a bit. I'd be grateful to be back down to a weight from which I'd have the opportunity not to get as heavy in the first place. My parents were well off enough that getting that many more fresh vegetables and fruits. I used to live on breakfast cereals and canned pasta or soup. I couldn't do that knowing what I know now. I do too much home cooking myself to settle for that now.

Now I know what a good education can get me, and how important it is to have job experience, even if it's just small things here and there to build up.

Thing is, I'd like to be able to take with me one note to myself... A list of people I'd like to end up meeting if I could, some notes about the future that I want to remember, and perhaps the dates, locations, and winning numbers of several big-payoff lottery games. That is, if the winning numbers don't change due to the altered timeline. It would be nice to come into an impressive chunk o' change, say, towards the end of my time in college. Perhaps it would make a nifty 21st birthday present to myself. Financial security for the rest of my days, and the option to go anywhere from there.

Comments

[grey-wolf.livejournal.com]

Yes - I would jump at it, I would not get into quite so much of the shit that I did in the 70's and I certainly wouldnt have headed up the aisle with the ex :)

[dawnstar.livejournal.com]

These kinds of questions always stump me. On the one hand, there are a bunch of bad experiences I would love to remove from my past entirely. But on the other hand, every experience - good and bad - is a learning experience. Would I be who I am today if I hadn't learned those lessons? What if I changed something that caused a ripple and prevented me from meeting my husband, or my closest friends? What if this, what if that? There are so many variables.

Or maybe I just think too much. ;)

I would definately do it ..

[mechanchaos.livejournal.com]

After all it was my idea :). I would probably take with me the some lottery numbers and future things I would want to experience. The whole idea was that you now would bein your body from then. I think knowledge of the future and also the things I know from living to this point would give me a lot more confidence in doing things back then. I think I would be a whole lot less shy and just try things out. So much times seems to be wasted by being scared. I also would set myself up with a bundle of money in one way or another. Then I would really have the time and confidnece to do a lot more. I think as a practice I would hang out at stimulance and make sure people got home safely. I think in essence I would date more, try things out more, and live more :).

Re: I would definately do it ..

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

I think I'd have gotten my license by then, given what I know now. The practice from going back through driver's ed would do it for me.