The past is a foreign country

I was going to get cracking on building one myself since nobody else seemed to be taking the initiative but then I realised that some Physics dude called Ronald Mallet was already on the case so I'm just going to let him do his thing, don't want to cramp his style or steal his thunder or anything. And no, I assure you it's definitely not because I feel my aluminium foil, milk bottle tops and double-sided tape would fall short of the mark.

I'm talking about the mythical and compelling time machine folks. Why in this technology ker-razy age of 3d television sets and talking fridges do we still not have a time machine I ask? Oh and robots? But more so time machines. There are big bucks to be made here, and if Mr Mallet should ever succeed then well, he is without a doubt on to a good thing. I can almost see the dollar signs gleaming in his eyes whilst he laughs maniacally, rubbing his hands profusely. Sir, you are a genuis. Well, almost.

Which leads me to question what would you change had you the rare opportunity, if right now, this very moment, Ronald offered you a free ride on his time-defying vehicle where would you go, the past or the future? And what would you take back? A fashion faux-pas, a dodgy perm, bitter words once exchanged in the heat of the moment, a meaningless fling? Many claim that they live a life devoid of regrets, that had they the chance to relive their lives they would not alter a single damn thing - I call these people unconvincing liars. Dig deep and you will always find something you wish you had done differently.

I am a firm believer of fate and destiny, not just because I am lazy, anti-effort and appreciate it as an excuse to float carefree through this funny thing we call life but because I truly feel 'it is written'. However I can't help wondering whether my life would pan out exactly the same way if I could go back to my past and tweak a little here and there. I can imagine a kind of 'Sliding Doors' type split-screen scenario that parallels my two lives, the current one and the ammended one. Now how cool would that be?

And heartbreak, would I erase all the heartbreak? The quiet, inconsolable sobbing into my pillow those agonising nights, the realisation that promises and dreams were shattered at a nod of the head and lay in some gutter drenched in muddy rain water amongst cigarette butts and crumpled crisps wrappers? Or would I journey to the future to see whether things turned out a-okay? Would I then be disappointed? Would I have to keep experimenting with the whole time and continuity matter à la 'The Butterfly Effect' until I finally achieved my desired ending? Ah, this time machine malarkey is starting to bring on a migraine. Maybe we are better off without such a device. Or maybe we have been duped, the transportation gadget already exists and each moment is continously being modified by its creator without our knowledge. It's a scary thought indeed.

Either way, time travel sure beats public transport, plus it would be fascinating to go back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. A trip to the eighties to erase shell suits would also be in order. As long as the time machine doesn't end up the hands of some evil villain who would abuse it in order to rule the world that is. How do you rule the world anyway, like the whole world? Have always wondered. Maybe we'll find out soon enough eh.