If You Could Have Been Born...

[Dennis1209]

If you could have been born in a different year in history, what year would that have been and why?

 

Watching all of these survival and Alaskan programs over the years on TV, reading about them in books, etc., my wife asked me, why do you watch them and do you wish you were born back then?

 

That was an interesting question from her and I responded with...

 

Yep, I was born 125-175 years too late. I would have loved to live in the times of exploration and the founding of our nation. I would have loved to explore the wilderness on my own, free of society, government intrusion, taxes and a hectic life. I would have enjoyed hunting and trapping and living the nomadic life of a wilderness pioneer and learning the skills of the Native American Indian.

 

In my sturdy and younger years I thought of myself as invincible, hard and up to the task of being born back in the day. That is until...

 

I got a few broken bones, toothaches and really sick! Then I appreciated the modern age we now all enjoy.

 

Can you imagine having a toothache(s) and little personal hygiene (tooth brush for instance) back 150 years ago or more and living with it? Ever tried to sleep or keep your thoughts with multiple toothaches or an unset broken bone for days, weeks and / or months, lifetime maybe? I tried years ago on a Saturday morning pulling an abscessed tooth with modern vice grips and pliers, because I couldn't get a dental appointment until the following Wednesday for an emergency. It wasn't pretty and it made it worse.

 

My first born had the umbilical cord wrapped around his body and with each contraction, it was becoming a race between life and death. But with modern technology, equipment and modern medicine, it was recognised and corrected. Can you imagine the frequent heartache of loosing a child during mid-wife birthing in the old days?

 

I believe the average life span for our ancestors back then was around 40 years old. Look at where we are today with an average life span of about 70 years ago! Even incurable disease bad pain can be managed and bearable in today's modern medicine.

 

So, with the years accumulating on me and my body at this old age, much older than 40, I'm blessed to live in the day and age I was predisposed to live in?

 

If you had a choice, what year in American history would you choose to be born and where would you want to live?

 

Just some thoughts of an old fart from younger years to present.

Edited February 3, 2013 by Dennis1209

[DaveS]

1840 thru 1870  Civil war years (1861-1865). I love history,and the Civil War. I'm a reenactor so that helps too!

 

Dave S

[Dolomite_supafly]

I think you meant to say 125-175 years to late not too early.

 

Personally I would have rather been born in the 1870's with the industrial revolution just ahead as well as all the firearms developements. Oil had not became mainsteam or automobiles either.

 

Dolomite

[NRA]

Great question,  In the 1920's to the early 1930's possible the greatest generation this country has ever seen!!

[Spots]

Late 1800's for the blacksmithing and horse drawn work. Or teenager in the 60's. Muscle car era baby

[Dennis1209]

I think you meant to say 125-175 years to late not too early.

 

Personally I would have rather been born in the 1870's with the industrial revolution just ahead as well as all the firearms developements. Oil had not became mainsteam or automobiles either.

 

Dolomite

 

That's what happens when you let your fingers do the walkin. Thanks, I changed it!

 

It's the year 1875 and Mr. Dolomite wasn't married and visited the local watering hole and got into a game of cards for instance. Prior to the card game he had a nice steak and chipped a tooth. Now he can't keep his mind on cards and in short order, looses his shirt. However, he does have enough money left to try and console his loss with the nice lady inviting him upstairs and ultimately gets a case of the ...

 

Do you know what the cure was for a case of the ... back then, that didn't work? In my bravest hour, there is no way I would let that Mercury injection to occur in Mr. Pee Pee.. And "biting the bullet" was literal dentistry back then to alleviate air getting to the tooth.

 

I stand by my six guns. Times are much better :up:

[TrickyNicky]

Romantic ideas of the past generations withstanding, I wouldn't change a thing. There's plenty to dislike about where we are today but there's also a lot of things I think we take for granted. Plus, I like who and what I am. given that we are all in someways products of our environment I wouldn't change. No, if anything I'm more curios as to the future, I sure would like to be alive in 2076 for instance.

[Dennis1209]

Romantic ideas of the past generations withstanding, I wouldn't change a thing. There's plenty to dislike about where we are today but there's also a lot of things I think we take for granted. Plus, I like who and what I am. given that we are all in someways products of our environment I wouldn't change. No, if anything I'm more curios as to the future, I sure would like to be alive in 2076 for instance.

 

Interesting thought process!

 

Knowing where we have been, knowing where we are today, and curious about our future. That's a no brain-er.

[dralarms]

I would have liked to have been alive when the stone was rolled away from Jesus's tomb and to have been able to have witnessed it. Other than that I'm happy where God saw fit to put me.

[Links2k]

Wouldn't change a thing. The past was not as good as some of you think it was.

[Spots]

Wouldn't change a thing. The past was not as good as some of you think it was.

Lol I know the medical would suck, as would a lot of other things. But I would enjoy alot of the stuff top. Especially the muscle cars in the 60's

[TMF]

I've seen enough Playboys from the 70's and 80's to know I came into being at exactly the right time.

[Guest ThePunisher]

I've been pretty happy with our country's history and how exciting it's been for me growing up in the fifties and sixties (good old days). But one thing I have doubts and anxiety about is what our country is gonna look like in the next 10 to 20 years, after what we've seen the last 4 years with Marxist/commie infiltration of our government, and will we still be the good ole USA where we live with liberties and freedoms the Bill of Rights in the Constitution affords us. Edited February 4, 2013 by ThePunisher

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

Growing up where and when I did ..I wouldnt change the time.I would change the people I had around me..

Life was good.

[TMF]

Oh yeah, and if I was born over a hundred years ago and my wife experienced the same simple complications she did with our first born she most likely would not have survived. Instead I will get to enjoy another 40 years of her company.

[Jonnin]

Right now was JUST FINE.   

 

I already would have been dead a good 5 times over if I had been born to see the civil war or revolutionary war.  WWII would have been rough, they had a semblance of medicine back then but I still would have been legally blind (no lasick yet) and possibly deaf (serious childhood ear infections/ tubes/ surgeries/ more).   I had pnumonia as a kid as well, and spent 2 weeks in a hospital bed with an oxygen tent.   My gall bladder went sour and removal of that in 1875 would have been ROUGH if they even knew what to do in time (like an appendix, it swells and pops and its game over).   I go straight from pale to lobster in any sunlight, and all anyone did before 1970 was stay outside all day long (apparently?) so I would have skin cancer by now too.  My wife would be dying, dead, or immobile from MS by now.  Instead they have slowed it and she can still walk and shoot and more.

 

So, yea, right now seems to be a good time for me.   It would awesome to visit some of those (for me, I would see the revolutionary war era) but live there? No freakin way.

[runco]

I would have liked to have been alive when the stone was rolled away from Jesus's tomb and to have been able to have witnessed it. Other than that I'm happy where God saw fit to put me.

+1 Edited February 4, 2013 by Runco