Living with my Ancestors

I’ve often wondered what my descendants in sixty years time would think of me and would they believe I was a good person, usefully in my community, and a shining example for them to follow.

I dream a lot about what the future may be like. And then, I think about the changes I have seen in my lifetime and try to imagine what my Great Grandfather & Great Grandmother would think of these changes.

Photos of me as a baby being held by my Great Grandfather backed by my father and Grandfather (four generations of males) in 1946 in the backyard of the GG’s home at Swansea cause me cast my imagination and dream of having a time machine that would allow me to travel back to the GG’s time in 1946 and visit with them.

Great Grandmother ‘Nellie’ was born in England in 1871 and died in Newcastle NSW in 1947.

Great Grandfather – Joseph was born in England in 1863 and died in Waratah NSW in 1948.

They had seven children.

Imagine my arriving at their door in 1946 early in the afternoon on a balmy summers day, knocking and introducing myself and asking to come in and have a chat with them. They would probably think me crazy and tell me to go away. But what if they were curious enough to invite me in to hear what I had to say. I could certainly show them enough gadgets that I habitually carry – my digital wrist-watch, my iPhone, my small Sony digital camera, my wallet with today’s currency, credit cards, drivers licence, loyalty cards, postage stamps. Even my clothes would tell them I was from somewhere (or sometime) else. I could even take with me some of the photos I have of them and the one of the four generations mentioned before.

How would they react? Could I convince them that I was from the future? That I was their Great Grandson that only a short time before they’d been nursing!!!!

That would be interesting. And let’s say they did believe me. The excitement, barely controlled, and the questions about their own futures they would want to know. Perhaps the sadness if I told them they would die in a year or two. Maybe they would not be sad but show strength and belief in their convictions and belief in God and a Hereafter.

For my part, think of the opportunity I would have to get them to tell me about their lives up ‘til then and their memories of their parents and earlier generations.

It would be great to spend time with them, living with them, getting to know them personally and how they live in their home and the society of the time.

Imagine bringing them back to our time for a ‘holiday’ staying with me in my home, showing them the changes that had taken place. It would certainly be surprising for them. Some of it they undoubtedly would be happy about and some they wouldn’t. The fact that wars continue and social behaviours and attitudes have changed, some for the good, some too far, and some for the worse. It would certainly be enlightening. Could I swear them to secrecy and depend on them not telling anyone what they had seen or experienced? What could I let them take back as a memento that they could privately treasure. Toilet paper perhaps. Mundane maybe, but a true luxury compared with what they had in 1946. It would certainly give the sanitary man something to wonder about.

No one would miss them while they were away on ‘holiday’ as with time travel they could be away for as long as we liked and return them to a few minutes after they left.

I’m sure they will be stable enough to handle the shock. After all I know they didn’t tell anyone (or the family and I would know about it now) and unless there are multiple realities, nothing has changed, except in our own minds and experiences which we’ll keep to ourselves.