Oh--this is a topic that was asked a while back at Blissed-Out Grandma. It was on one of those meme things, you know--tag you're next. I looked at it and started to think about my picks and then just entered the idea in my blog composition list to think about later. Well, later has come.
What a great way to fill up a blog post.
Here they are in no particular order:
Jesus Christ -- This is almost a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want to meet Jesus in person? Where you could actually talk face to face with him? I'd want it to be a time-travel thing too so I could see what things were like back then. In fact that will be part of my criteria for the rest of the characters who are real or historical. And also, I'd get to stay three days in each place. Three days hanging out with Jesus and his disciples would be pretty amazing.
Now, back to the list:
Image via Wikipedia Franz Schubert -- I guess I'd need to learn German or have a translator, but three days with Schubert would be undoubtedly filled with music. He's one of my favorite composers. A biography that I read about him told about how he would perform a lot of intimate concerts and hung around with a rather arty group. Vienna in the early 1800s sounds like a fascinating time. Maybe I could catch Beethoven while I was there.Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson --He's a distant cousin and seemed like a very upright guy. An American Civil War hero, he was also a teacher at a Viginia university. From all I've read about him he sounds like a pretty serious guy. I would be talking to someone who was very closely related to my ancestors who first came to the United States in the mid-1700s.
Mark Twain--The guy was a literary genius and could say such funny things. I wonder if he was funny all the time. I'd say he must have been at least passably congenial since he was so popular. Mark Twain would have some fascinating stories to tell.
Image via Wikipedia Erik Satie--The French composer of eccentric impressionistic and minimalist music seems like a pretty strange guy and I imagine it could be entertaining to spend some time with him. Add to my criteria the instant ability to speak and understand the language of wherever I was--I'd need this for several of my characters.Al Jolson--I want to know the real story about the guy. This popular singer from the first half of the twentieth century would probably have some great tales to tell about the entertainment industry of his time. He comes across as a pretty nice guy in both the fictional portrayal and in his films, And if he's an ass then so be it. It's only three days for crying out loud.
Image via Wikipedia Jack Kerouac--After three days I'd probably be pretty drunk hanging out with this guy, but it would be cool going to jazz clubs and hanging out with people he knew. I could get more of a feel for the beat philosophy and lifestyle, and maybe get some kind of insight from Kerouac about his writing. Maybe three days of a cross-country drive. I can dig that for sure.Now wasn't that fun? I had fun thinking about it. You want to do it too? I'm supposed to tag you here, so if you want to play--go ahead. It's an easy way to fill up a blog post. Or did I say that already?
Great selection of people you would like to meet. Made interesting reading.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit, much appreciated,
Yvonne.
Cool, I will think about this one today... have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteVery fun!! I'd find it hard to limit the numbers of people I'd like to meet, though most of them would be musicians I think. hehe
ReplyDeleteLoved your selections! Seems like some of the times you'd be travelling to would be errr, dangerous. So be sure to take some modern-day body armour with you when you go!
Interesting list - applaud your first choice. (And depending on your beliefs, you might really meet him someday.)
ReplyDeleteOh, this is amazing. I don't know a few of your picks, but they sound great. And I especially love your first one.
ReplyDelete~JD
that would be one hell of a party of people, some great people would be there...
ReplyDeleteBeing On The Road, with Jack, would be very cool.
ReplyDeleteGreat choices.
ReplyDeleteMy list would include 2 polarizing figures: Malcom X and Nathan Bedford Forest. I would want to learn more about their world--and what dictated their life decisions.
Is it just a coincidence that they're all men? :P
ReplyDeleteI'd definitely like to meet Mark Twain and witness his witiness in person! I'd also love to meet Descartes and Plato because I'm really interested in their philosophical theories. And Mother Teresa for some inspiration.
I know enough Kerouac types in real life, but Twain would be a definite pick.
ReplyDeleteI'd want to meet Jesus. And Abraham Lincoln. Think of what could be learned about leadership and dealing with people from those two.
ReplyDeleteGreat choices! Have a nice weekend, Lee!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great list. I feel bad because I only knew about three or four of them. The others I had to look up so I knew more about them.
ReplyDeleteSchubert and Jesus. I concur.
Love this idea! I would absolutely love to meet Twain as well. I think I'm adding this to my list of ideas as well. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
Amazing list man, I can definitely see why you'd want to meet all of these guys especially Twain and Kerouac, Kerouac in particular is an absolute genius.
ReplyDeleteARLEE BOIDMAN ~
ReplyDeleteAhh, very cool concept for a post.
Your Number 1 and my Number one are identical, of course: JESUS CHRIST. No question 'bout it.
My Number 2 would be SENATOR JOSEPH McCARTHY. I know so much about him already from all the reading/studying I've done, but I'd love a chance to pick his brain a bit, get to know his personality and his feelings firsthand.
MARK TWAIN would also be amongst my seven for sure. A true genius! And imagine how entertaining those 3 days would be.
I'm pretty certain I would have VINCENT VAN GOGH on my list. To spend three days around that level of creative intensity would be quite an experience.
JAMES DEAN, I'm sure, would be on my list.
I'd have to give some serious thought to my other two choices.
ANDREW JACKSON would be a definite possibility for my list.
I probably would not have thought of him on my own, but your mention of JACK KEROUAC has some definite possibilities. Yeah, to say you'd gone on a cross-country trip with "Sal and Dean", that would be something.
The danger I see in that one for me, however, is the potential for a big let-down. In my youth, the group of friends I was a member of - The League Of Soul Crusaders - was in some ways so much like Sal and Dean, so wild and free, with "road fever" and "road soda" that, believe it or not, I'm not so sure Kerouac and his crew wouldn't seem almost tame compared to us, and THAT would disappoint me. (Heck, one member of "The League" even had the name Dean. And I once named a car of mine Sal Paradise.)
I would hate to spend three days with Kerouac and his boys only to find that "my boys" had done it more energetically and more entertainingly.
As much as I love music, I'm not sure any musicians would make my list. If so, perhaps BOB DYLAN at the height of his creative powers (1965), or maybe TINY TIM. Can you imagine spending three days with Tiny Tim? What a "trip" THAT would be! Ha!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Meeting John Kerouac would be quite the experience. I don't know if I'd be able to survive the excessive drinking, but I'd be fun while it lasted. I took at course on him and his literature. It was by far one of the best literature classes I've taken.
ReplyDeleteOf course, my girlfriend wouldn't have been too psyched with me hanging out with him.
Great list Lee! Reminds me of the old assignment, name 10 people from history that you would invite to a dinner party...I may have to think that over and use it as a post one day!
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I'd like to meet these people, too. Plus I'd like to meet Benjamin Franklin, Mary Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth 1.
ReplyDeleteA great selection, Lee.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to think about it, but Jesus would definitely be on my list as well.
Thanks for swinging by my blog... :)
Just got back from several hours trying to attend to a dental emergency. What a hassle.
ReplyDeleteBut it was nice to come back to all of these fine comments. I'm not going to address them all, but I guess this topic that has been languishing in my topic bank for about a year wasn't so bad after all. I'll look forward to seeing some of the people you all choose if you do this as your own topic.
Lee
Those are some great choices! Jesus is definitely a priority. But Mark Twain and Stonewall Jackson would both be fascinating!
ReplyDeleteGreat picks Lee! I like the additional parameters you put in place too. From Jesus to Schubert to Kerouac, now that's a crowd worth getting to know.
ReplyDeleteJesus Christ would be on my list. Alber Einstein Is on it too. I'd like to go back and meet myslef, give me some good advice, and maybe smack me up alongside the head a few times too.
ReplyDeleteFascinating list. I think I'd pass on Stonewall and go with Robery E. Lee. Thomas Jefferson, too, if I were focusing on American history. I'm going to give this some thought.
ReplyDeleteFrom Jesus to Jack K., that's quite an interesting range of personalities, I enjoyed reading your reasons for each one. It's a cool idea...Queen Elizabeth would be on my list, I've always thought she was such a fascinating figure in history....and I'd like to see her gowns up close. :)
ReplyDelete~Scarlett
You have inspired me to do my own blog about this - such hard work and it looks so easy! Thanks
ReplyDeletehttp://susanclow.blogspot.com/2012/01/7-people-i-would-like-to-meet.html
Love your choices, Lee! Especially Jesus. You're right, that's a no-brainer.
ReplyDeleteI would add Albert Einstein, if only to hear HIS list of people who he would like to meet, and to get his opinions on God, especially during his later years.
This was fun. There are SO many people I want to meet/see when I get "over there." Can't even begin to make a list. Sometimes I can hardly wait I get so excited thinking about it!
ReplyDeleteAnn Best, Author of In the Mirror & Other Memoirs
Now this is fun, and I love your choices (Kerouac! He'd be in my list, too)! I'm starting to think the people I'd like to meet. Thanks for this! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a new follower, btw. I think there's a link at Google+ that redirected here, I just forgot what it was (I think it's a post related to geeks). :) Your blog is awesome!
I blog at http://cinderellaincombatboots.blogspot.com/ :)
Oh, I'd love to meet Jack Kerouac. Would Ginsberg and Neal Cassady be there too? I've read nearly everything written by him, or about him.
ReplyDeleteAlso on my list: Hemingway in the 1930s, Jimi Hendrix, Charles Dickens, I. Asimov, S. Dali, Claude Monet, J.P. Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Joan of Arc, Napoleon, and Ghandi.
Great question since it lets us dream a bit, Arlee.
Loved your list. Jesus Christ would be on mine, also. I'd probably want to meet the Buddha too. As for writers, maybe Emily Dickinson. If she'd agree to meet anyone, that is.
ReplyDeleteThat'a a great list! Can I come along for the meeting with Twain?
ReplyDeleteLet's say one had to be female. Who would it be?
ReplyDelete(I hope your dental emergency was take care of.)
More interesting comments and personal picks.
ReplyDeleteAnita--Dental emergency not taken care of yet due to other medical issues--a big hassle, but I feel better today. In answer to your challenge of a female person, it was something I thought about. As far as a female my choices might include Cleopatra (interesting era and what did she really look like?) or Anais Nin (she must have been an interesting conversationalist). Oh, and I shouldn't forget my favorite writer, Flannery O'Connor.
Lee
Great choices. You are very into the arts with composers and writers. Thanks for sharing and food for thought for a future post. Seven people, eh?
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with Mark Twain! I am very interested to know him he is not only a genius but a dark comedian and I absolutely adore that!
ReplyDeleteDitto to your Mark Twain and Jesus selections. I would want to meet Mark for the opportunity to soak up all of his wisdom. I would want to meet Jesus so he can just tell me what's going to happen later on down the line within the next few decades of my life. That would save me a whole lot of guesswork, stress and heartache today and would also help me decide which decisions to make right now and which ones to avoid, ignore or not bother devoting any of my precious time to.
ReplyDeleteI mean really, Jesus...can I get the blueprint?! Can I get the future manifesto for my 30, 40 and 50+ self?
That would be grand!
The Madlab Post
An eclectic group of interesting people. Fun post Lee!
ReplyDeleteVery cool list. There are some people on there I would love to hang with. Mark Twain would definitely be a riot and Jesus, too. I'd love to hear what he was really like. We'd probably all be shocked.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting list of people. This was a wonderful idea for a blog post. Perhaps I'll use this idea for a future blog post.
ReplyDeleteMy thanks to everyone who came by later.
ReplyDeleteLee