24 January 2008

Time Machine

OK, yesterday I created a misunderstanding. I'm sorry 'bout that. Yesterday was not my birthday. According to my mom, my due date was January 31st. But, I was born six days later, on February 6th. Again, thanks for all the well-wishes. And, if you've already wished me a happy birthday, there's no need to repeat on the 6th. Thanks to all of you! So many wonderful well-wishes - so unexpected and welcome!

Now, I also jokingly mentioned wanting Prof. Hawking to deliver a time machine to me as a present. Something I could use to get more hobby work done. I actually had a discussion with my mother about time machines not too long ago and I determined what I would do if I actually had one.

See, my father was the youngest of three and growing up in the coal fields of West Virginia, they didn't have much - life was rough. Grandfather Frank was paid in scrip (money printed by the Kingston Pocahontas Coal Company and good only at the company's general store) and all the company store merchandise was ridiculously over-priced. Not only was the store owned by the Kingston Pocahontas Coal Company, but also the houses in which the miners and their families lived. The miners were also paid in scrip which was non-exchangeable for American currency, so these poor miners were trapped - so to speak - by their employers. This was true at any coal mine, in any coal town, throughout Appalachia, during this time. Any Christmas gifts my father and uncles received were purchased at the company store and were very meager.

My father told me about one Christmas in particular when he and his two older brothers each received one tinker toy and one orange. By that evening, Dad's toy was broken.

I remember when Dad first told me that story, I was heart-broken for him. I decided right then and there that if I could go back in time, I would go back to that Christmas day in the late 1930s and take Christmas toys to my dad, Uncle Romie, and Uncle Curtis.

That's what I would do with my time machine. What would you do with yours?

10 comments:

Miss Britt said...

Um, something horribly selfish that I am certainly not sharing here after THAT saintly disclosure.

Unknown said...

What Miss Britt said...

Avitable said...

I'd go back in time to the moment I got into the time machine, push Past Avitable out of the way and jump into the machine, thus causing a loop that would destroy all of time and space.

Unless Past Avitable is stronger than Future Avitable, in which case nothing bad will happen and I will have wasted my chance at making millions by manipulating the stock market.

The Ferryman said...

I would use it to do many many horrible things.

So...I have to wish you a Happy Birthday AGAIN in a few weeks? Sheesh...

Cricky said...

I don't know that I would do anything other than just "visit" the past or future...

I'd certainly like to change the fact that Nicholas died, but then I might not have ever met my husband....life is tricky that way.

Oh I know...I'd go back in time and store all my Barbie's properly so they might be worth money someday instead of wasting space in my garage.

Unknown said...

I'm so afraid I'd screw something up if I went back in time and could actually interact with my surroundings. I think I'd rather just have a time-viewer where I could look back and watch first-hand.

I'm still holding out for a teleportation device (or 4), though.

Military Mom said...

I would go back in time long enough to study for my promotion! I am running out of time!!!

Not Afraid to Use It said...

The first thing that comes to mind: At my grandfather's funeral I would have stood up to my uncle and told him to stop making my mother beg for his forgiveness. That she had lost her father just as he had, and that to make her sob on her knees begging him to look at her was the most evil thing in the world. He had no right.

RiverPoet said...

Wow. What *wouldn't* I do if I could go back in time? See to it that my mom got the family farm instead of her brother? Find out what made my dad the crazy guy he was? Have a heart to heart talk with myself about how to get the money for college and how it didn't really matter what anyone else thought about me?

Yeah. Pretty much selfish. I wish I had the clarity you have, though!

Peace - D

Coal Miner's Granddaughter said...

Britt - Oh, come on! You don't want to just go back in time, minute by minute, and kick Avitable in the balls?

Teri - Chicken.

Avitable - OK, back away from the comics, dude!

Fab - As long as I can join in on those horrible things, cool.

Just A Girl - You and the Ty-man... he would go back and horde all his Star Wars stuff so it didn't get sent to the yard sale!

Andrea - OK. OK. Your teleportation device is cool. I get it! :-)

Military Mom - You'll make it! I promise! Deep breaths! And quit reading my blog until you're done studying!!!!!

NATUI - HELL YEAH! I'll go back in time with you! I got your six!

Momma - I know. There are so many other things I could do, too. So many wrongs to right. But, I'd screw it up. A bag of toys I can handle.