The time we currently live in, the 2020’s, is possibly the best time to be alive. Some of you will undoubtedly disagree. You will say the gas prices are too high, or that inflation is skyrocketing. Some of you will say racial violence is higher than ever, or that discrimination against certain communities based on religion or gender-identity is worse now than ever before. Still others will point to the global pandemic of Sars-Cov-2 and all its variants. And I imagine most everyone will dispute my claim.
But we are living in profoundly wondrous times. Yes, there is no end in sight for this pandemic, and people are worried that democracy is on the decline. But I have seen some amazing things. life-like robots, information at my fingertips, home delivery of just about anything, and really cool inventions. People have been getting healthier, if you don’t count Covid-related illnesses, and we have more music and art within our reach, even if you don’t want to leave the house. It is more acceptable to be who you are called to be. There is more understanding and compassion than I remember when I was a kid. Things are looking up for everyone, except for bigots and misogynists. For them, things are not great.
The past, the “good ole days”, was a time when life was harder for many people. And if you thought Covid was bad, you would be shocked by how catastrophic by comparison the Spanish Flu epidemic was 100 years ago. There are still a lot of diseases we can’t protect ourselves from as well as we’d like. But you’re very unlikely to get polio, unlike many people 70 years ago and further back. Before the polio vaccine it was a terrifying thought that anyone could contract it. Nowadays we don’t even consider it a threat, and yet there are still people who are opposed to being vaccinated, which is credited to nearly eradication the disease entirely. Yes, I would say life is pretty good now.
We’re less active than our immediate ancestors, even when compared to our parents. I know I walk less, which is to say I drive more. In the past people might walk to the store or down the street to visit neighbors. But today we live greater distances from people and places. Urban sprawl is a relatively new phenomenon, cities being built where a car is required, rather than designing a city around people. Therefore our cities are more polluted both with contaminants in the air and with noise. Streets aren’t built with pedestrians in mind. In fact it’s downright treacherous to cross a street in North America. If you’re walking people assume you’re unable to purchase a car, or you are a degenerate who lost his license to drive. And it’s not good for your health to breathe in so much carbon monoxide. We have to make up for the lack of exercise so we drive to the gym. Well, you see the problem there, don’t you? Anyway, there are some aspects of modern life that aren’t so great.
I can, however, afford to call people on the other side of the world. I can even see them, too! Video conferencing was once science fiction. Now it is a daily occurrence. When I was younger I remember my parents telling me I had to wait until after 7:00 pm to call long distance; the rates would be much lower then. But it was still costly to talk for more than a few minutes, and my grandparents would pass the phone around the room so everyone would have a chance to talk. It was an event. Traveling to other parts of the world required one to get inoculated if that were possible because of the relative infrequency of contact between peoples and the vast distances. We don’t hear much about this now, aside from the possibility of contracting malaria, but a vaccine is available for that now, too.
What’s important here to know is that things have gotten steadily better for humanity over time. As Rufus Carlin, a character on the TV series “Timeless“, played by Malcom Barrett, said, “…but I am black. There is literally no place in American history that’ll be awesome for me.” Indeed, it is decidedly more awesome these days, but not ideal.
So if you go time-traveling, knowing you might be inoculated against many horrible diseases, you might not be protected against bubonic plague. Also you might find that you can pass on any number of diseases, like how European explorers introduced many diseases to the indigenous people of the Americas. It would be a tragedy to infect people you came in contact with, so be mindful of that and wear some protective gear, like a suit of some kind. Perhaps a spacesuit, like an astronaut would wear. By now you’re probably getting a picture of what happens next.
You and your fellow time-travelers have landed in what is today Vallon-Pont-d’Arc roughly 20,000 years in the past. There are no cities, no signs of civilization, in fact. At this time in human existence history hasn’t begun, really. Primitive humans hunt wild creatures for food, and live in the safety of the caves nearby. While hunting they come across you and your team of sight-seers, in your matching red spacesuits, and the local French people (well, there is no France at this point), run away in terror. Later, about 20,000 years in the future, archeologists discover some strange figures painted on a cave wall. It remains a mystery, but at least you were not responsible for wiping out the human race, at least the humans in Southern France.
Life is probably better today. Ancient humans might agree, once they got over the shock. They might find they can expect to live comparatively longer, healthier lives. They would compare the stress of modern life to that of being threatened by other groups of humans or beasts that could make a meal of them. They would be amazed at a modern supermarket, with seemingly infinite variety and abundance. They would marvel at the notion that people can travel anywhere in the world within a day or two. They would be amazed at the colors and the noise and the speed of our lives. And they might wonder why we chose to live this way.
I like to go camping and backpacking. We have a lot of gear that enables us to live, for a brief time, like our distant ancestors did, so we think. I doubt those ancient people had rain-resistant tents and sleeping bags rated for sub-zero temperatures. Yes, even when we’ve abandoned the comfort of our house and promise of delivery so fast the food is still piping hot, we still have it better than those before us. The park is well-maintained, and the staff make frequent checks on visitors to make sure no one is less than comfortable (and no one is being rowdy). Safety is a huge concern, so they keep an eye on campfires and items that could cause problems. And campers are willing to help one another out. Much better than things in the past, I believe.
So remember to keep your spacesuit and your helmet on when you’re traveling backward through time. It’ll make for some interesting cave art.
Bebop Marmaduke 