A quick web search of time travel books and movies reveals a huge and growing list. Do creatives just have to try their hand at some new twist on the time travel genre? I mean, I do get the fascination. How amazing would it be if there were some machine or natural device by which we could travel in time either back into the past or forward into the future? With all of the drama and intrigue of history, recent and ancient, it is tantalizing to think of dialing up a past date and location and wandering around asking modern questions and resolving mysteries. Then maybe, oh maybe, you could say or do something that might alter the course of history for the better.

How much money has Diana Gabaldon made with her Outlander books and TV series that are based not on time travel in a human machine but rather via mystical magical stones in Scotland? People love this stuff. I am convinced that part of the fascination is imagining how much we could accomplish in a previous era knowing what we know now. It is basically cheating. If I can know all of the questions and answers on the final exam before I take it, imagine how well I would do. Imagine how smart and powerful you would think I am. Except I’m not. I just cheated.

Even I with my time travel skepticism cannot avoid getting drawn in to the storyteller’s art as I try to make some change in the past that will improve the outcome of the future. Suspension of disbelief, indeed!

Of course, if you can time travel into the past, there is no reason that the same machine or magic should not be able to catapult you into the future. And so we spend some time there. We dial up a distant date and location and travel ahead to strange and wonderful goings-on. What is transportation like in 500 years? What about the food? Do we still have nation-states or are we one global people? For that matter, are we one Universal Empire? Oh, the possibilities!

It does strike me that one of the necessary features to all such time traveling is that we be able to return to the present. We want to tinker with the past in order to fix things so that we can get back here and finally live in a world and a life worth living. We want to visit the future but return to the present because we can’t bear to leave behind the people we care about and the culture we inhabit, regardless of how flawed it might be. We also want to bring back the technology of the future and make the world a better place. At least that is the more noble spin we would put on cheating.

If such a time machine or magical stones really existed, would you sign up to take the ride if you knew you could never return to right now? If it really were a one-way trip, would you do it? Most of us would never sign up for that. Why not?

That makes me wonder if right now is really so bad? Do we have some innate sense that we are supposed to be here now? We do travel to our pasts in memory. We even travel to far distant pasts via books and our imagination. We also travel to the future in our thoughts and via art. But we live here. Now.

Do you know how much money I could make if I knew the future? Even if I could only know one day in advance I would devise a strategy to capitalize on it. So would you. But we cannot. Despite the claims of diviners and charlatans, humans can only guess at the future based on past experience and assumptions. Sometimes those guesses come true and create the illusion of prescience. But alas, even the most skillful guesser is exposed at some point.

Is there any point to all of this? Right now we are in the midst of a frightening present. We are dealing with what future historians will likely call a plague. By every definition I have come across, COVID-19, the current Coronavirus, is a plague. We do not know how this is going to turn out. We can use modern epidemiological models to try to predict how many people will contract it and how many people will die because of it. We can try to predict how long it will take to “run its course” or how long until someone develops a vaccine. We can look to the past and make predictions based on how the Spanish Flu impacted the world, but in the end we are making predictions. This fills us with concern, uncertainty, and even fear. Our public officials, and every one of us world-wide, are being forced to make decisions without being able to see the future.

This is the way life always is. We all have a past we can draw on and learn from. We all have a future that is unknowable. But we live in the present. My resolve in this moment is to refrain from predicting the future while valuing the people in my life that matter most. I am reading and dreaming and reflecting like always. My spiritual understanding informs my ultimate cosmic hope and comfort, but this moment in time is a reminder that life is a gift best lived in the present.

Nostalgia.

What is it?

Dictionary.com says it is

a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one’s life, to one’s home or homeland, or to one’s family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time”

Nostalgia can be unhelpful, even dangerous. For example, it is not good if all you ever do is wish for the past and use that to avoid the responsibility of the present and future. That type of nostalgia is not what I have in mind.

Nostalgia can be a good thing when it reminds you of some happy or important aspect of your story. Benjamin Franklin said “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” When we look back on the way things were at some earlier stage of life, we are looking back on our time and how we spent it. Hopefully we did not squander it. This type of nostalgia is a type of remembering. It can be a way of remembering important values and practices.

Most of us get nostalgic when looking at old photos or watching old family movies, but it can happen at a moment’s notice in other ways as well. One of the pleasant surprises that I have experienced over the last few years is the revelation that one of my favorite musical artists is actually the niece of one of my former high school teammates. I get some degree of satisfaction knowing that I was a fan of her music before I knew who her uncle was. The fact that her uncle is David just makes it all the more enjoyable to me.

The artist is Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz.

A couple of years ago we attended her concert in Austin. We got to meet her and tell her of my connection with David. For some reason that night I bought her latest album in vinyl instead of CD. I cannot explain why I did that because we had not had our old turntable set up and working for over twenty-five years.

More recently it was our pleasure to meet Sarah’s parents, Gary and Mary, as well. They are lovely people enjoying their daughter’s immense talent along with the rest of us.

This past weekend I dusted off the old stereo equipment, bought some new speakers and speaker wire, and connected the turntable. The first vinyl I played? You guess it – Undercurrent, Sarah’s LP (that stands for “Long Play” for you whippersnappers) that we bought that night.

This vinyl recording is new so it is missing the signature pops and crackles of an old dusty record, but it still takes me back to the day when this was how music was enjoyed. It reminded me of Darrell Starnes and the parties at his house. It reminded me of Guy Anderson and his love for music. It reminded me of strobe lights, black lights, the robot, and the friends I grew up with at a place and time that had a lot of good things about it. It was not perfect. That is one of the dangers of nostalgia – it often conveniently glosses over and idealizes a previous era.

So it wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty good. Music was a big part of it, as it is for every generation from Big Band to Hip Hop. My friends and I were all adept at playing vinyl records, both 33 and 1/3s and 45s (look it up). My parents before me even played 78s. We all knew how to operate the equipment and where to buy the new albums.

There is something wonderful about the fact that my return to vinyl was inspired by a young artist who was not yet even born the last time my turntable was in operation. I am glad I did not toss our large vinyl collection. I am eager to break out the old stuff. To my friends from school I want to challenge you to find your old turntable and set it up. Bring out Black Sabbath, Kiss, Aerosmith (no, the old Aerosmith), Four Tops, the Eagles, and that other stuff that had your parents convinced you would never amount to anything.

Whether vinyl means anything to you or not, I want to encourage you to reflect on those good moments and people in your life and to enjoy the good things you have experienced. Perhaps consider if that simpler time has some values that you can import into your family in the present and future. If not, just smile at the good memories.

For your enjoyment here is Sarah’s “House of Mercy” video from the LP Undercurrent:

A question for you vinyl-era folks: What is the first LP you will play when you get that turntable set up?

I want to close with a disclaimer. For many people the past is not a happy repository of wonderful things to recall. For many the past is a painful reminder of tragedy, regret, and even evil. Because of this fact, I urge caution (and in many cases professional help) for delving into those types of hurts from the past.

The US Constitution

What is Upward Mobility?

Upward mobility is the ability to change and improve one’s social status. Historically much of the world’s population seemed fated to remain in the social circle into which they were born. If you were a prince or a pauper, so you would remain throughout your life. In many nations today, this is still the case. In societies like the USA, western democracies, and other countries with favorable laws and economic systems, a person can move from pauper to prince (so to speak) through education, hard work, creativity, entrepreneurship, the generosity of others, or pure luck (i.e. lottery).

The Coin has a Flip Side

In such a society, however, there is also the reality of downward mobility. For a variety of reasons a person can move from prince to pauper. Perhaps the CEO’s daughter gets addicted to drugs and squanders her advantage. The millionaire’s son was never required to develop the same traits that made Mom and Dad so successful and through laziness or incompetence wasted the money and the company.

Upward Mobility & Forward Story

The recent and current events in the middle east have caused me to think about what life must be like for individuals in those societies. The people of Tunisia and Egypt have demanded governmental change from monarchies/dictatorships to something (yet to be determined) closer to a democracy. As of this writing Libyans are rising up and paying the price to make a change from their longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He is using military force to try to cling to power. Why would Libyans be willing to die in order to change their government? One reason is that in their current system they have few personal freedoms and very little opportunity to change their lots in life. There is very little social mobility either up or down.

You will notice that there are some people in Libya that do not want regime change. They are willing to kill their fellow countrymen in order to prevent a change. Why? They are the ones currently enjoying the largess of the government. They are at the top. For those at the top and in power, social mobility is not a desired outcome. There is really nowhere for them to go but down.

How does all this relate to Forward Story? Individuals who are rising up in Libya and elsewhere are doing so because their Forward Stories under the current regimes and social systems are very negative. As they see other countries with laws favorable to individuals and as they yearn for their own pursuit of happiness, they develop Forward Stories that are possible only with regime change.

What Does This Mean for You?

If you are in a country where there is very little opportunity for upward social mobility, your choices are difficult. I wish I had some smooth path to recommend for you. Stay true to your vision of the future. I wish you courage and safety. If you live in a country where there is social mobility, count your blessings and take advantage of your opportunities. Realize that just as you can move up, you can also move down. Chart your course through the careful development of your Forward Story, and work your plan to create the kind of life you desire. Do not allow excuses to hold you back from achieving your ambition. A lot of brave and wise people gave a lot so you could have this opportunity.

Don’t let them down. Don’t let yourself down.

Martin Luther King, Jr. photographed by Marion S. Trikosko, 1964. LC-DIG-ppmsc-01269

We could focus on so many important aspects of what he said that day and debate the extent to which his dream has come to fruition. What I think about today is that Dr. King looked at the past sins of our nation. He looked at the present condition of inequality.  And he looked to a future that he believed could actually be brought to reality. It was a dream, but it was a dream based on a strong hope.

This ability to hope and envision a forward story is uniquely human and is ultimately optimistic. One of the great challenges for young people of all races today is to develop this practice of creating their own forward story. If you devote energy and time to your own future vision and then act to bring it to pass, you will be amazed at how your own dreams can become reality.

Thank you, Dr. King.

He tells of a psychiatrist friend of his in New York City that helped him during a time of regret. Gordon had missed a great opportunity, the kind that only comes around once or twice in a lifetime. He was lamenting this mistake and was stuck in regret. He just could not get over his mistake.

His friend noticed that Gordon kept using a phrase common to those stuck in the past and hamstrung by regret: “If only…”

If only:

• I had not made that choice.
• I had taken advantage of that opportunity.
• I had not said that.
• I had done something different.

“If only” can hinder and limit.

Gordon’s friend encouraged him to substitute another two word phrase each time he found himself thinking “If only.” The new phrase? “Next time.”

Next time:

• I will make the better choice.
• I will take advantage of that opportunity.
• I will not say that.
• I will do something different.

“If only” ties us to the past in a limiting way. “Next time” points us to a hopeful future in which we learn from past mistakes and make better choices.

The next time you find yourself tied to the past in a limiting way, try to use the phrase “next time” and start over with a confident, positive approach to your opportunities and your challenges.

One such story is the famous and important novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Written in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the story impacted millions of readers in its day and made a profound impact on the history of America and, it can be argued, the world.

A story did that. A fictional story at that.

Stowe’s Masterpiece

Though I had heard of Uncle Tom’s Cabin for decades, I had never read the book. I still have not actually read it, but thanks to the magic of audiobooks I have now heard the story (see note following this post regarding audiobooks). The fact that the story can be read or heard audibly and still move the reader or hearer regardless, is a testament to the power of this narrative.

So for about a week my typical radio chatter of sports, news, and politics was replaced by a tale of some Kentucky slaves escaping their owners, others being sold “down river” by their masters, and of yet others being brutally treated by men of evil character. My evening walks were adventures in the history of our nation at one of its darkest and most painful moments. A 158 year-old story spoke deeply to my soul and moved me.

Revisiting a previous theme, we have to ask if the story is really fictional? Stowe was criticized in many circles as having written a propaganda piece. So strong was the criticism that she ended with a chapter defending the truthfulness of her account. Though the book was fictional in characters and specific circumstances, it was decidedly non-fiction in spirit in that it depicted things that really were happening. If her opponents could dismiss her book as merely a figment of her imagination or as propaganda, they could somewhat blunt its force. Their efforts failed.

So strong was the impact of Stowe’s narrative that when President Abraham Lincoln met her it is rumored that he said: “So, you’re the little lady that started this great war.” That quote is disputed and may not have actually been spoken by Lincoln, but the impact of her book was real. On March 8, 1853 the famous escaped slave, writer, and statesman Frederick Douglass wrote a letter to Stowe:

I desire to express, dear Madam, my deep sense of the value of the services which you have already rendered my afflicted and persecuted people, by the publication of your inimitable book on the subject of slavery. That contribution to our bleeding cause, alone, involves us in a debt of gratitude which cannot be measured; and your resolution to make other exertions on our behalf excites in me emotions and sentiments, which I scarcely need try to give forth in words. Suffice it to say, that I believe you to have the blessings of your enslaved countrymen and countrywomen; and the still higher reward which comes to the soul in the smiles of our merciful Heavenly father, whose ear is ever open to the cries of the oppressed.

Of the book, Douglass said:

Its effect was amazing, instantaneous and universal.

One last point about this story. The fact that I am writing about the story is not the same as hearing the story itself. There was great craft in the creation of Stowe’s narrative, and there was great skill in the telling. There is no substitute for the story itself. When you write your own personal Forward Story, you have to develop the skill to write a narrative worth living.

Oh yeah, and no one can write it for you.

Note on Audiobooks. There are many great sources for audiobooks in different formats and media. I recently downloaded the iPhone application by Librivox entitled “Audiobooks Free”. Librivox produces audio versions of books that are in the public domain. This means some of the greatest works of literature are now available to us free thanks to Librivox. It is their version of Uncle Tom’s Cabin that was narrated by John Greenman that I enjoyed. I just wanted to put in a plug for this great effort. You do not have to have an iPhone to enjoy Librivox. You can download audio files directly from their website at http://librivox.org/

Does This Impact You?

When you hear the story of The Trail of Tears where Native Americans were forcibly evicted from their native lands and made to march to present-day Oklahoma, do you feel their grief and pain as thousands of people died along the way because of racism and in order to satisfy a desire for their land?

There is something about a “true story” that always gets to me. I always seem to come away with a resolve. Perhaps it is my resolve to never mistreat someone, or a resolve to stand up for injustice. Whatever it is, I feel the impact of a powerful true story.

The true accounts of African-American slavery and Nazi cruelty always fill me with shame, dread, anger, and resolve.

Non-Fiction

However, does a fictional story have the same ability to move? I believe that the power of story is so compelling that even fiction can accomplish it. How do I know that? Because fictional stories have brought tears to my eyes. Ol’ Yeller still gets me right here. Fictional stories have made anger rise in me. These made-up stories have made me resolve to change some behavior. A fictional story like Love Story can even make me behave differently. A fictional story, then, can drive emotion, spur thought, and prompt action.

The Storyteller

The skill of the storyteller has a lot to do with this. A poor storyteller can ruin even the best of stories, regardless of whether it is fiction or non-fiction. Likewise, a great storyteller can work wonders with either type of story.

So What?

What’s the big deal? Well, if I can hear a story, whether fiction or non-fiction, and be moved to action, then I should be able to harness the power of story to make a positive impact in my life.

You and I have the ability to write stories. Even if you are not a writer of fiction, you have the capacity to create a great story of your future and to act in the present in order to bring it to pass. Since this ability is a uniquely human ability, we should use it to great advantage. Now is your future story, or forward story, fiction or non-fiction? Well, since it is in the future and hasn’t really happened yet, we will have to put it in the category of fiction. Just because your view of where you are going is fiction does not mean it is powerless to drive you into future-oriented behavior today that can help turn the fiction into non-fiction.

Anyone who has set a goal and then accomplished it has written a fiction about the future and then engaged in behaviors to turn fiction into reality.

That’s the big deal.

I am convinced it is a really big deal for all of us. Bigger than most of us realize.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1757)

 I am an amateur historian, or more properly a history buff. I do not have a history degree, so I am missing some of the  necessary background to speak with authority about the academic field of history. I plan to take a course at some point in historiography, the study of how historians do history. Historiography is about the methodology of history.

History is not another name for the past, as many people imply. It is the name for stories about the past. – A.J. P. Taylor

Even without that formal historical background, I do agree with Taylor  that history is really story. Think of your own life and recall some event that occurred a while back. When you get to my age there are events that occurred when I was a teenager that I think I can recall with great clarity.

For instance, the summer before I began seventh grade the school yearbook staff took a weekend retreat to the beach home of one of our fellow staffers. Everything was going great until we tried to get a sailboat that was on a trailer unstuck from the sand. The mast of the sailboat hit a 7,900 volt electric wire. Those of us who were holding on to the boat and/or trailer got to make a trip to the local hospital for various burns and injuries.

That’s a Tall Mast

Do you see what I did there? I experienced this event. I know it happened. You do not know it happened. I had to tell you a story to get you oriented into what I claim happened. Now, do you believe me? That may depend on a lot of factors. Do you consider me to be a credible witness? You may not even know me. You shouldn’t put too much faith in someone you don’t know. Another question is how good my mind and memory are. Was it really 7,900 volts? Was I about to enter seventh grade?

Here’s another thing. My wife of nearly thirty years was also on that yearbook staff. If you put us in different rooms and asked us to tell everything we remember about that event, our stories would not completely match. They would be close because not only did we experience it together, but we have discussed it many times over the intervening years and have helped shape each others’ recollections of what happened. But if you asked any of the other people who experienced it, and who have not been discussing it together for years, I suspect the stories would differ in some important ways.

Your job as a listener to the various stories would be to make some decisions about which parts of the story are consistent and about what you think really happened. You might decide that some people are not credible witnesses for whatever reason.

If history is story, then what can we believe? I am not saying that history cannot communicate objective truth. I live in the United States of America. I know it has a real history of men and women who did real things in real places to secure the country’s identity as a nation. If I really want to know that history, I must read and listen to the stories told by those who witnessed it, or by those who have studied those original stories. Sometimes those stories are presented in letters, in artwork, in photographs, in oral tradition, and in other ways.

Why does this matter?

If you do not care where you are, where your nation and world came from, and why many of the current events are occurring, it may not matter to you. Most of us do care. We want to understand the historical forces at work that set in motion many of the conflicts in our world and many of the advances we benefit from and that we work to build on.

There are enough witnesses that Ben Franklin lived and did certain things that I can conclude that his life really happened. I can read things he wrote, including his autobiography. I can see depictions of what he looked like. I can hear the stories told by those who knew him. The existence of Ben Franklin is an objective truth to me even though I live centuries after his death. I arrived at that conviction through narratives or stories about him and about our nation.

Your Story

While there are practical reasons to care about world and national history, there are also reasons to care about our personal history. Where did you come from? Where have you been? What has happened to you? This is why therapists exist and offer a valuable service to people. They can help explore personal pains, traumas, triumphs, and failures in the past that can have powerful impacts on people today and on their view of the future.

Story is powerful. It leads to action. Sad chapters of  history have been written about nations drawn into devastating wars because they believed a story that was told about a rival nation that had wronged them in some way. Just as powerfully, our personal stories can lead us to action or inaction.

If listening to a compelling story can lead nations into war or shape our understanding of who we are and where we are going, I would say story is a very powerful force.

In the next post we will explore the difference between non-fiction and fiction stories.