So, yesterday I had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in over 25 years.
She was one of the first to befriend me when I moved to a new town as a kid, she taught me to ride a horse (she had two, I eventually got one), and we played Barbies together--making complicated sprawling compounds for them to live in, complete with barns and stables (filled with model horses), and, with both of us being such avid readers, we also crafted some equally complicated backstories, usually involving torrid relationship histories between Barbie, Ken, and that third wheel PJ.
And then came middle school when the Barbies were replaced with trips to Skateway, then high school and all of its ensuing complications, and then, somehow, we lost touch . . .
(my 14 year old self--heavily influenced by Farrah Fawcett)
And now, many, many years later, we met up again, only this time she had her delightful 12 year old daughter in tow--and, well, it was great! Truly great! It's a really wonderful thing when you can connect with your past in such a fun way, to learn and share about the journeys life took, all the unexpected twists and turns, the losses and triumphs, and the way that it informed and shaped us along the way.
And speaking of journeys, I'm talking about some of my favorite ones over on Little Willow's blog today--and answering the question, which would I choose: Time Travel or Immortality??
You can read it HERE.
And now I'm asking YOU. If you had the choice, would you rather be able to time travel or live forever??
Also, just learned that BLUE MOON landed at #24 this week on the USA Today list, while EVERMORE came in at # 58-- So thank you thank you thank you for that!!
Enjoy your weekend, Everyone!
Alyson
xoxo
PS- Last minute addendum-- Wanna be a superhero?? Learn how by clicking HERE!!
30 comments:
I'd choose immortality because I'd have more time to learn and see things. Of course, there wouldn't be any fear of death (the Big Unknown as I like to call it).
And another reason:I'd be just like Ever.
Well if I could chose to either time travel, or become immortal, well there are a few loopholes in there. For time travel, that doesn't really specify how many times you can, and for how long you can stay there (plus with the ever so obvious, corrupting history). For becoming immortal, you wouldn't be able to stay in the same place at once because if you never age, people would suspect something is wrong. Also, you would have to be alone for your whole life. Never living everyday of your life as the last. This is just my opionion. If I would have to choose, it would be immortality. To be honest.
I'd choose time travel. I think it would be neat to go back in time to the day of Shakespeare or the months before President Kennedy was assassinated. You'd probably even get to go to the future. It would be fascinating to jump ahead and see when we have colonies in outer space.
To quote the song from the Highlander movie (I wish I could remember the name of the group who sings it!) "Who wants to live forever?" At first it might be fun and interesting, but after a while everyone you loved has died, you can’t stay in one place for very long because you stop aging (Just an assumption. It would be miserable to live forever and get old and sick!). I would think that after a few hundred years you might become a bit crazy.
Time travel, definitely. I wouldn't want to see all my friends and family die around me. I'd be around alone for a long time. But to time travel -- ooh, I could go anywhere. I could see Shakespeare when Shakespeare was in it! I could talk to John Adams (my favorite president). I could -- see a LOT. Yes, definitely time travel.
Hello Alyson, I think I would much rather be able to live forever. I love the life God has given me. And of course, I think its fascinating and all to go back in time and maybe fix a couple mistakes that I made along the way, but wheres the fun in that? If life were perfect there would be no lessons learned, no adventures. I wouldn't be who I am today. I would much rather have a unlimited amount of time to experience and live life.
But if I could have both, as Ever did, then that would be just perfect : )
Hello Alyson, I think I would much rather be able to live forever. I love the life God has given me. And of course, I think its fascinating and all to go back in time and maybe fix a couple mistakes that I made along the way, but wheres the fun in that? If life were perfect there would be no lessons learned, no adventures. I wouldn't be who I am today. I would much rather have a unlimited amount of time to experience and live life.
But if I could have both, as Ever did, then that would be just perfect : )
Hello Alyson!
I have a question for you, after the immortal saga is over do you plan on making another immortal series? your so good at them and i would love to see you do more :)
Long time no see! I'd choose immortality. I can't bear to live in the past or go through them again. It's why they're called memories. If I said I don't want immortality than I'm crazy but it's sad to watch people you love dies while you live. Unless you live forever with your one true love than...I'm jumping on the immortal wagon! :D
Wow, so far immortality is leading--but I was thinking time travel, less in the way Ever did it, I really wouldn't want to go back and correct my mistakes because those are the things that made me who I am, but more to experiences exciting moments in history-like renaissance times, the roaring twenties-or even space colonies in the future!
And Rachel- hmmm, well I hope to do another series when this one is over--and though I have some ideas, I haven't really nailed it down just yet!
I think it depends. The truth is that if we were able to time travel, I personally would imagine it to be similar to The Time Traveler's Wife. Could we really go back in our clothes? Bring or take things from one period of time to the other? Could we control where we go? Imagine if you go with the clothes you have now to the 1940s!
And as far as immortality go, it would suck to see all your loved ones die and you keep living la vida loca.
I don't know. I don't think I would choose to be neither, depends what the pros and cons are for each possibility.
But if I have to choose, I think time traveling would be more fun, exciting, and unpredictable.
is summerland made up and immortality cuz i think it would be great to live thought everything anfd experince it
Lucia- Time Traveler's WIfe is on my list of books to read--though at this rate, I'll probably see the movie first! And choosing neither--is probably the smartest choice of all in the end!
Onesoccernine- Well, there are many who believe in both the Summerland and Immortality! I just gave it my own fictional spin!
I would choose neither, because if I lived forever, I would have to watch those I love die... and I would have to keep moving from place to place, every time I was in a place for too long. As for time travel, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and it wouldnt be right to interrupt the fabric of time... (but it would be pretty cool)
It was a great book. I definitely recommend reading it before seeing the movie though. Movies have a way of changing the storyline and the dialogues way too much. It's wicked sad too, which I loved. I don't know why, but there's just something about tragic love that makes it more lasting and beautiful, don't you think?
Right now I'm reading A Separate Peace, which I've been told it was really good. We'll see :)
Hey Peri- I believe everything happens for a reason too, I'd just really like to be a bystander at some of those long ago events!! I totally agree about the immortality, i think it would be sad, lonely, and a little exhausting!
Hey Lucia- I totally agree!
I read A SEPARATE PEACE years ago, it's haunting--very haunting, and I loved it!
I'd definately choose the immortality! Eventually you'd die with time traveling but with immortality you can experience the future, and travel back in your memories.
Hey Erica- Thanks for playing!
I think I'd chose living forever. Writing is a craft that is unmasterable, that's what I like about it. If I lived and wrote for hundreds and hundreds of years I'd still have something to learn. Think of all the books.
time travel would be nice to a degree though. Makes research a lot easier and I'd like to meet Mr. E=Mc2
Aw, JT--Such a good practical answer!! Years and years to improve the craft and revise, revise, revise--sounds good to me!
I'd choose time travel I think. I'd love to be able to meet people from the past and I think it would help shed perspective on the present and future.
Congrat's on Blue Moon and Evermore doing so well, Alyson! xoxo
Very thoughtful Wendy! And thanks!
Well I think that if anybody had one of those the world would be much different. What if Hitler was immortal and continued to torture people that didn't fit his idea of a perfect person? What if someone time traveled and kept Lincoln from being assassinated? The world would be much different and I like the world the way it is now.
But if I had to choose I would pick time traveling - but I wouldn't change anything. I'd just want to go back and relive or maybe check things out. Like maybe I want to remember my first day of kindergarten or maybe I want to know what my crush was like before I met him. But I would never interviene at the risk of changing things.
Immortality would be such a tragic, terrible punishment. You love people then they all die. Then once you get over them enough to go on with your life and you settle into another relationship with other friends you love and by that time they're bound to die soon. It'd be like teasing a dog - not fair at all. Cruel almost. You see everyone you love disappear and by the time you learn to love other people they're close to leaving as well.
I would never travel to the future though. That would definitely change what would happen. I think that God should guide us to where the world is meant to go, and if I travel to the future I will spoil everything for myself and just with that knowledge I will change things, like maybe I find out my mother dies in a car crash... I might end up stalling her from getting in the car or sending her to the grocery store for milk first to keep her from crashing. The right thing would be to let her go because that's what is meant to happen then I can cry about how stupid I was to do that but still realize it was the right thing to do.
Both concepts are very complicated and time-consuming when you try to think about all the factors. I've never thought about these two ideas like this. Thank you for asking us this because I never would have put so much thought into this. I love to think about things like this so please feel free to ask more questions like this!
This question you asked us (as well as everyone's answers) has inspired me to write about time traveling. I feel like immortality, though very interesting, is being used in books enough already that there is no need for another book about immortals (though I have thought about it before). I also feel like time traveling could give me a very good storyline... I'm already planning ideas so I've got to go write them all down so I don't forget! Thanks again for asking this question!
Alissa- Wow, you really put a lot of thought into this and I'm so glad it's inspired you to write a time travel!! I wish you all the best with it!
That sounds like so much fun. I love to catch up with old friends. It's amazing how quickly the awkwardness usually falls away and it's like we're in high school again - without all those annoying high school issues.
Waving to Caryn! Yup, it really was great--I love when I get a chance to do things like that!
So I am 25 and I have the biggest guilty pleasure...I read romance novels and sometimes adult (and more age appropriate for me) books are not as enjoyable for me. I find the suspence of waiting for the intimacy and the cleaner way in which it is portrayed to be more appealing in the young adult romance novels. Twilight got me started, but I have read so many others. I hope I am not the only 25 year old that devoured Evermore and Blue Moon in three days and can't wait for the next book to come out! Your writing is great Alyson. By the way, if I had to chose, I would chose to be immortal. Going back in time and seeing the prejudices we have overcome in society would not be something I would want to witness.
Hey Misty--Oh, you're not the only one--though I'm so glad you've joined us! There are so many amazing YA books these days, and since we've all been there, survived adolescence, it makes them easy to relate to.
Interesting take on going back in time, I fully admit to only wanting to visiting the good times--the Holocaust--Slavery--I could do without!
Thanks for stopping by!
I would choose to time-travel, but as a bystander of my old memories. It'd be very nice :) .
Hey Anonymous--I'm with you! There are a few memories I'd love to relive!
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