I started to include a long stupid setup about me and necromancy and Athena and crap like that, but I lost interest in the middle of the fourth word of the first sentence. The thread title seems clear enough without a justification. I will resume posting stupid threads next week.
Anyway: by whatever improbable means you wish to postulate, you are granted the chance to have a one-hour-long conversation with any single person from your post. Who do pick, what do you talk about, and should we disarm one of you before leaving you alone for this conversation?
I would really like to talk to my dad who gave me up for adoption and came back into my life once when I was in my late '30s. I didn’t take the opportunity then to talk with him because I felt so awkward and unsure, thinking I would have time later. He passed away before that time came.
If so, Pam. She was my best friend in the world for a lot of years and died when I was 16 and she was 17. I want her to know who I am now, more than 10 years later.
If not… well, that would take a lot more thought. I’m sure the people in my past are in my past for a reason and I’m not sure I care to talk to any of them.
Hm. I was having trouble answering and then thought of another question that would make it definitive: can you talk to this person as they were at any point you knew them in the past, or would you be talking to the person they are today, or were when they died?
If you can pick an age, I’d ponder and brainstorm really hard, do some research on child psychology, and then go back and talk to either my brother or my sister (probably brother - my sister seems to be doing well) when they were younger and try to mitigate some of the damage done by our family dysfunctions. I don’t know if that one hour would actually have any impact, but if I could go back and change one thing, it’d be to try to help them through that more, so I’d have to try. It’d be worth it regardless. (None of us are all *that *messed up, but I can see the negative impact it’s had, and it makes me sad. And I worry it could end up being much more than I think, and only time will tell.)
If it’s as they are today, I think maybe my piano teacher, so I could finally thank her properly, tell her what a huge impact learning to play the piano has had on me, and tell her how grateful I am to have lucked into such a great teacher. I keep meaning to actually do this, but I haven’t. Hopefully I still have time.
(I feel like I should have said my grandmother, who has since died. I honestly don’t know what I’d say, though. We weren’t very close.)
My maternal grandfather. He was such an awesome person that he has become a legend in my family. He died of metastatic melanoma when I was 19, so I did get to know him, but it wasn’t enough. I would give anything for one more hour.
My dad. He died when I was 21, and never got to see me even graduate from college, much less get married. I’d like to tell him his instinct about my then-boyfriend was correct, and that we’ve been happily married for over a decade now.
My mama. I’d just snuggle up with her and ask her to talk to me about anything.
Everyone loved her. She died when I was in my early twenties and was my best friend but I was so self-involved I never really knew HER. I’d love to hear some of her stories.
My mother. She died when I was 18, so I never really got to know her when I became an adult. There’s so much about her life I have no idea about.
I found a picture of her a few years ago, and asked my aunt where it was taken. Apparently my mother lived in Italy for a year or so- I had no idea. I don’t even know what questions to ask.
My maternal grandmother. She died when I was eight. She’s the only person in my family I resemble, physically or temperamentally. More than just getting to know her as an adult, I want some questions answered.
Is she really my mother’s mother? Mom has brown eyes. Grandma and Grandpa both have blue eyes. Mom’s oldest sister was 16 when she was born, and her later husband and in-laws treated her like dirt. Is Grandma really great-grandma? Or is Grandpa not really Grandpa at all? There are enough other skeletons in the closet I’ve found I don’t think I would be too disturbed by the truth on this one.
When I was…probably 12 years old, I met a really cool girl at summer camp who I just instantly clicked with. We spent the whole week hanging out and becoming good friends. As we were saying goodbye, I asked for her email address. She didn’t have one, and I had a stupid phobia of making telephone calls at the time so I didn’t ask for a phone number. One of my only true regrets from the past. I’d love to talk to her again, to catch up, revisit that great week.
Shannon, if you’re out there, I still have that book of intentionally bad Sonic the Hedgehog drawings and I can make you a copy, promise!
My dad. He died in 2002. I never got a chance to say goodbye and opted out of many other chances to speak honestly with him about lots of things. He passed away suddenly while on his way to Stanford for some tests when I was thousands of miles away from home living in Atlanta.
My mother. I’m assuming she would be sober for this interview; something she wasn’t for the last ten years or so of her life. If she was sober, we might actually have a good talk, and put paid to a number of matters that have bothered me since her death.
If there’s any time left over, I’d like to speak with Kathy, my girlfriend when I was in Grade 12. I’d like to know that she was okay and happy. That’s one relationship I never really got closure on.
