To Control the Uncontrollable
Imagine the gift of immortality or of a superhuman power. Waking up the next morning with the sole power of super speed, super strength, invisibility, or any other chosen power of one’s favorite superhero. What possibilities would one take advantage of? Would it cause the need for a secret identity? How would one decide on the best use of their newly found gift? Choosing a power would be difficult in itself, but if the possibility were granted, I would choose the power to control the uncontrollable, time.
As one gets older, the reality of the cliché of wanting “time in a bottle” or of “never having enough time” seems more and more relevant. The comments made by our elders, “If I could go back in time I would have…” or “If I could have gone back and done it over, I would…” It also has one wondering on how to utilize the time we have to its best and to make the best decisions as to not have to pay regrets to it in the future. Someone once told me that out of the three everyday factors in life involving time, money, and emotions, the only factor in which one could not control was time. He said, “Time goes on with or without you.” Time is also considered the one thing that there is never enough of but can also never be replaced.
Choosing the power to control time would give me both the ability of time travel and of freezing time in its place. With this power I would travel both in the past and future to reminisce, learn, and also experience things that could only have been done at that particular time. Imagine the possibilities of witnessing a historical event at the time and place of which it occurred such as Martin Luther King Jr’s speech at Lincoln Park? Or being in the presence or even meeting a historical figure such as the philosopher Aristotle? Maybe even doing what most people wish they could do, going back to see their past love ones once more, or being able to zip through traffic, and the lines at the grocery store.
One of the many things I would first like to accomplish with my power would be to revisit my grandfather on my mother’s side before he was murdered or maybe to even have prevented it. Although the event occurred when I was only eight years old, I remember it being too sudden. I remember my mother rushing to get on the next available flight to the Philippines and leaving me behind with my father. On my mother’s arrival, there was havoc in the little province of which everything happened and my grandmother was rushed to move and live in the city. My mother was afraid for my grandmother because it was rumored that my grandfather was killed while being robbed. I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw my grandfather alive because I was so young at the time.
The next thing I would utilize my power for would to travel back in time to see the world and how much it has changed. This particularly applies to the era of Ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Ever since I learned about these places in history, I have been intrigued. The idea of pharaohs, pyramids, hieroglyphics, and undiscovered history and techniques of the Egyptians would have been great to witness. Also to have witnessed the philosophers, myths, Golden Era, and the rise and fall of both Greece and Rome would be an experience one could only imagine but be possible with my gift.
One would probably tell me I was using my power in a selfish manner with the things I have just listed I would do, and/or ask why I wouldn’t do something greater as in change the history of things in the past. Things such as the slavery, Holocaust, Rwanda, the terrorist attacks on 9-11, the ongoing situation in Darfur, and other such situations in which prevention of much suffering could have been changed. Although these do seem like legitimate tasks in which my power could be used for, one has to think about the other things that would change in the prevention of these tragic events in history. The easy thing would be to prevent the mass killings of the Holocaust by going back in time and killing Hitler, but what happens afterwards? One needs to realize that to tamper with one part of history would tamper with history altogether, for everything is connected. Also, one person may have a say or effect on history but cannot change the course of history without others involvement.
Lets take a moment to take a look at the vindictive side of having the ability to either alter time in itself or freeze time. This ability would give me the advantage to make straight A’s in school, never be late to an event again, or stop an argument from taking place. To be empowered with time control would mean changing people’s decisions. Elect anyone I want in office as either the President of the United States of America, Governor, or mayor.
Having this ability would help get out of tight spots. I know that everyone would love to freeze time and finish or do a chore that either you mother or father tasked you with doing. Forgot to vacuum the house, mow the yard, wash the dishes or even start dinner and know that mommy or daddy would get furious? You know that they would be home in less than thirty minutes and you didn’t complete everything you were told to do before your parents got home. Ever thrown a party while your parents were away and the house is a mess and don’t have the time to clean it up before your parents got home? Have you ever said something you shouldn’t have or it came out wrong and wished you could rewind time to fix the problem?
Think about something as simple as war. War is a never ending thing that occurs in history repetitively because we as a society haven’t figured out a better alternative to solving problems. Think about it all your life you are told that violence solves nothing. I mean remember Scruff McGruff? The dog detective that would solve a problem between a helpless kid and his/her bully? My power of controlling time would only serve as a tool in which I would try to educate others in the history without tampering with it. I realize that with great power comes great responsibility. With my power of time control I know my life would be changed forever and be given more pressures, but I also realize I would be responsible and not abuse it in any way such as tampering with history. I believe this is mainly the reason no one person can control the uncontrollable element of time.
In conclusion I have listed many ideas of being able to accomplish with the element of time, but in the end life is one big roller coaster and having the ability wouldn’t solve or change anything. It would however cause the course of everything to run amok. Nothing would seem normal. It would be like living on Hysteria lane in Desperate Housewives. Or living in a giant fairytale like The Wizard of Oz. Could you imagine clicking your heels together saying, “There’s no place like home?” Time: the uncontrollable element. Is the ability that like I said no one person should have the ability to control. Time is of the essence. What would you do if you could control time? Would you do the right thing or embrace the power in your vindictive ways? The decision is yours.
