When I was a kid, the idea of time travel was fascinating to me. I fantasized about going back in history and living through historic events or going into the future to see what happens. The use and possible of a time machine has always confounded me. If you go back in history, will you change things by being there that have a catastrophic effect on events that lead back to present day? If you go into the future, will you find out things that you can change when you come back, thereby preventing a possible disaster or is there a possibility of profiting from having advance knowledge that no one else would have – like the winning lottery number?

There were a couple of movies about that idea, like Back to the Future and there is a new one out starring Bruce Willis called, “Looper.” I was surprised to find a list online with over 200 time travel movies. I will have to look at that list and see how many I have watched over the years.

If I had the ability to travel through time, I’m not sure if I would rather go back into an historical period or event, or go into the future. Part of me would love to go ahead in time about 20 years just to see how different life will be and what new inventions have come along to make life easier. How far will medicine have advanced with cures for diseases and new ways to diagnose and treat different illnesses?

On the other hand, if I had to go back in time, I think that I would like to just relive the year of my childhood right before my parents split up and divorced. I was so young I barely remember much of that time. But I would have liked to have seen my parents married and happy together. I realize that there was nothing that I could have done to change the divorce, but I don’t even remember seeing my parents kiss. I have always regretted that.