Imagine if I went to a high school class reunion and got elected most popular at the reunion. In all the excitement, I had a minor heart problem causing me to pass out. The next thing you know, I woke up at an earlier time. I was back in my sophomore year of high school. It was 1956. My dad was still alive. I was dating Shelby on a steady basis. Myrna was in her early years of marriage (at age 55) to the debonaire Chuck Andes (the jerk from Pennsylvania).
The important part of this exercise of going back in time is “I know everything that I have learned in life and I take that knowledge backward with me”. Would I change anything? The perfect answer is “I wouldn’t” change a thing”! I don’t want to answer too quick because this is my fantasy and I have time to wrestle with the facts.
I would minimize the love side of the world and marry for money. But wait, I could have both. The knowledge I carried back in time would provide the riches. I would beg, borrow, or steal every share of IBM, Yahoo and Microsoft stock I could get my hands on and ride them to riches. Hey, I could still marry for love and have the money too.
I could experience all the old early TV shows like The Texaco Hour with Uncle Milty, The George Gobel Show, Wells Fargo starring Dale Robertson, and Howdy Dowdy. Buffalo Bob’s famous reprise to Howdy Doody (the dummy) when he was excited was “Cowaubunga Kemosabe”. Wow, that cry would give me chills.
I could drive my old ’51 oldsmobile convertible with my best girl. I could drive my dad’s new ’56 Dodge four door with push buttom drive and aerodynamic fins. (My dad bought a Dodge? Nobody in their right mind drives a Dodge!).
I would experience the ambiance of the City Club Rooms.
I would have about a year to influence my Dad’s early demise. Could I change it? Would I change it? Of course, I’d change it if I could. He and I were constantly at “war”, but he was still a great Dad and it would be special if he had been able to see his kids grow up. Hey, with the knowlege I had, I could make him rich too! His biggest problem was he had a champagne appetite and a beer income. I could have steered him to a champagne income. I know Jack’s life would have been different. Addie and Jerry could have used a good dad in their lives.
In my real life, starting at UW-Oshkosh was good because it helped me develop self-confidence. In my fantasy return to ’56, I would already be confident and I would attend Harvard or the Pennsylvania School of Business (Wharton). What the hell? Juice up my credentials.
I could talk to my old friends. Real high school friends. Bernie Stellmacher. Charlie Gertz. Richard and Roger Shovan. Hey, Bill and Dick Mueller. Bob Becker. John Zelm. Jim Owens. And the list goes on.
Maybe I could have shaped world events. Imagine knowing the date of Kennedy being shot and maybe preventing it. Or knowing the significance and timing of the events of 9/11? Could they have been changed?
If you really want to “juice up” the return to 1956 exercise, imagine having one week to study everything that occured during your lifetime BEFORE you go back in time. You could get rich immediately with things you knew about the financial markets starting in 1956.
Then imagine waking up. It was all a dream. Everything is back to “normal”!
The real life ride for me has been rewarding. I married for love, had 5 great children, experienced a better than average career and have been pretty much accountable for all my actions. I don’t think I’d really change much. Besides, I’m tired and I don’t have the energy to go back and do it again.
My lesson Grasshopppers is you should enjoy the ride. You can fantasize all you want, but upon reflection, you probably wouldn’t change much either. The good things are all around you. Your life is evolving as you read this.
Love,
Dad