Pick a Super Power
Freezing time is actually not a power I can ever remember wishing to have, stretching it maybe to get more done in the time available. But even that doesn't appeal greatly. I have heard somewhere, and I am sure I am not quoting it correctly, that whatever you are trying to do will expand to fit the time you have to do it in. Even with more hours in each day, I think I would feel I could never get finished with all I need/want to do.
Also, there are good times and not-so-good times and some downright lousy times in all of our lives. From my age and vantage point, it seems the America I was a child in was a much kinder, gentler, lovelier, cleaner place. But would I go back and do it all again? Not if you paid me big money. And I feel I have had a very good life. But going through it all once is enough. I suppose there are specific days and specific occasions I would enjoy re-living, and a few I would like to have a chance to do better. But as was made clear in Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," that experience might prove so poignantly painful we would regret having tried. On the whole, I think the plan already in place is better than I could come up with. In addition, there seem to be some possibly very scary things on the world's horizon. I think I don't want us to slow down for those.
As to what super power I would select:
"World peace" has always seemed a pretty hackneyed response, and the movie "Miss Congeniality" has made it even more so. But, truly, if I could have any super power, my choice would be the ability to convince all the people in the entire world of the absolute need and value of living by the Golden Rule; of truly, deeply, and sincerely treating all other people as they themselves would like to be treated. I would like to see everyone love and revere whatever deity or faith they believe in with their whole heart and being ---but not try to force it on anyone else--and treat all other people and their beliefs with honesty, caring, and most of all, with respect. If people truly treated each other this way, there would be no wars. (Just call me Pollyanna.)
I guess while I am downloading my choice of super powers, I might add to the power already requested some way of reinforcing my powers of convincing people, like providing each person a little implant that would give him/her a little reminder shock or jolt anytime they treated someone else in a way they would not want to be treated themselves, and a lesser prick whenever they thought unkind, judgmental things about others. There would be NO monitoring of these devices by anyone, they would be only to help people be aware of these thoughts and behaviors until they no longer experienced them at all.
Oh, well, you wanted us to dream creatively. Yes? Super Pollyanna---not a very grand sounding super name or super being. But very me.
Also, there are good times and not-so-good times and some downright lousy times in all of our lives. From my age and vantage point, it seems the America I was a child in was a much kinder, gentler, lovelier, cleaner place. But would I go back and do it all again? Not if you paid me big money. And I feel I have had a very good life. But going through it all once is enough. I suppose there are specific days and specific occasions I would enjoy re-living, and a few I would like to have a chance to do better. But as was made clear in Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," that experience might prove so poignantly painful we would regret having tried. On the whole, I think the plan already in place is better than I could come up with. In addition, there seem to be some possibly very scary things on the world's horizon. I think I don't want us to slow down for those.
As to what super power I would select:
"World peace" has always seemed a pretty hackneyed response, and the movie "Miss Congeniality" has made it even more so. But, truly, if I could have any super power, my choice would be the ability to convince all the people in the entire world of the absolute need and value of living by the Golden Rule; of truly, deeply, and sincerely treating all other people as they themselves would like to be treated. I would like to see everyone love and revere whatever deity or faith they believe in with their whole heart and being ---but not try to force it on anyone else--and treat all other people and their beliefs with honesty, caring, and most of all, with respect. If people truly treated each other this way, there would be no wars. (Just call me Pollyanna.)
I guess while I am downloading my choice of super powers, I might add to the power already requested some way of reinforcing my powers of convincing people, like providing each person a little implant that would give him/her a little reminder shock or jolt anytime they treated someone else in a way they would not want to be treated themselves, and a lesser prick whenever they thought unkind, judgmental things about others. There would be NO monitoring of these devices by anyone, they would be only to help people be aware of these thoughts and behaviors until they no longer experienced them at all.
Oh, well, you wanted us to dream creatively. Yes? Super Pollyanna---not a very grand sounding super name or super being. But very me.
posted by sundaycynce at 3:39 PM
2 Comments:
FABULOUS idea for a super power. World changing, in fact.
Perhaps I'll try to equip myself with a mental version of the "prick" you describe.
Thanks for writing.
I too would not want to freeze time. I like your idea of World Peace, altho the prick idea is reminiscent of 1984, that freaky Orson Wells book that is coming true in certain ways. :-)
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