October 29, 2010 at 7:49 am
Had I survived my birth (very low probablity), I would have spent my entire life in an institution. Needless to say, I was born at the right time in history not only to have survived but also flourish in modern society. Technology provided the means by which I contribute as the lead data architect in a fortune 500 company.
Rick
Saint Louis, MO
October 29, 2010 at 7:53 am
Someone mentioned going back 110 years to beat Marconi to the punch in inventing the radio... well I'd go back to the same timeframe to shoot Marconi to prevent him from stealing the patent from Tesla who was the real brains behind radio, then hide out in the woods and make & peddle beer to the masses and beat Anheuser-Busch to the punch!
maddog
October 29, 2010 at 7:54 am
Since the question mentions being pitched through a portal, I'll assume I know then what I know now. I'd build and repair bikes (bicycles); that's really what I'd rather be doing some days anyway.
Maybe throw some time and work into green electricity generation, to get the drop on coal...?
Bet I could jump the gun on a few good inventions!
October 29, 2010 at 7:57 am
... oh and file a LOT of patents!
October 29, 2010 at 8:19 am
The original question includes a time warp. If so, I'd work like crazy to prevent WW I, or at least mitigate it. I can think of several possible solutions.
Assuming that kind of alteration of the future isn't possible, I'd do what I could to prep for the Great Depression. People who were prepared correctly made immense fortunes on that, ones that are still powerful today.
If the question is simply one about professions, and assumes the same me but born in and working in 1910, with an education and background compatible with that time period, I'd probably be a doctor or a minister. My mother and her mother were nurses, and I've done the EMT thing and was good at it, hence possibly a doctor. On the other hand, my father and my maternal grandfather were both ministers, and I'm one ceremony away from being ordained in my church, so minister is a definite possibility.
Craft-wise, I'd be a carpenter. I love woodworking, and have a family background on that one too. I've done precision cabinetry, and construction work, and enjoyed both.
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"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
October 29, 2010 at 8:32 am
I can easily see myself being a blue-collar worker of some kind if I'd been brought up with the same background--my parents weren't exactly rich (although they weren't working class either). Best I could probably hope for is some sort of menial bank job. On the plus side, at the time the First World War starts I'd be 44, so maybe a bit old to get called up!
If I was teleported back in time to 1910 right now, with the knowledge I have now--I suspect it would all be entirely useless at the time period. I suppose I could set up as some sort of intellectual, predicting the future...but would those predictions change that future? If I was able to persuade Archduke Ferdinand not to go to Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 and the First World War thereby didn't happen (or at least not at the same time), how would things pan out then? Time travel makes my brain hurt!
October 29, 2010 at 8:32 am
I'd likely give Coco Chanel some serious competition!
October 29, 2010 at 8:40 am
I would frantically try to build a time machine to throw me back into 2010.
October 29, 2010 at 8:46 am
William Vach (10/29/2010)
Probably the equivilant of a DBA 100 years ago was a millwright. That was someone that built and maintained machinary for a factory or assembly line.
Millwrights still exist, and in large numbers. My brother is a millwright.
Assuming I was born 150 years ago, and following a comparable path, I'd probably have started as a blacksmith, tried my hand at carpentry, possibly moving into boat building, finally ending up working with personal motorized transportation. Let's see, I started as welder, I've done auto mechanics as both a hobby and a profession, I build boats for a hobby, and I was pretty early to the game in personal computers.
If I was just transported back with all my current knowledge, I'd probably head straight to a medium sized shipyard. They need people with a large fraction of the skills and knowledge I've acquired over the years. They're still small enough that they need quite a few non-specialists and big enough to need organisational and technical thinking and skills. I'm not sure I have what it takes to innovate based on differences between our times, but there is a good chance I'd become a valued employee.
October 29, 2010 at 8:50 am
My Dad's father was a blacksmith and owned the local country store. I assume I would have had something to do with that or farming since the area was (and still is) very rural.
I like to think that I would have helped make some contributions, but quite honestly, with my allergies, I would probably not have lived to be my age back then. Most people wouldn't have as without the advent of antibiotics, the idea of a child living to adulthood was not very good. That is why people had 8-12 children back then --yes, to help with the work, but also because you could expect a good percentage to not make it.
Also, in 1910 the life expectancy was only about 50 years old (in the US). It made for a very hard, very short life.
October 29, 2010 at 8:52 am
I would have wanted to be associated and worked with the Chicago Cubs. This was their golden era, winning the World Series in 1907 and 1908 and they went to the World Series again this year. Unfortunately they lost in 5 games to the Philadelphia Athletics,:-D I would have also wanted to meet Mark Twain before he died that year as well.:-D
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
October 29, 2010 at 8:55 am
Joe Johnson-482549 (10/29/2010)
Also, in 1910 the life expectancy was only about 50 years old (in the US). It made for a very hard, very short life.
Bear in mind that's AVERAGE life expectancy, and you've already stated the main reason that was so low--due to massive infant mortality! As a general rule, if you survived your childhood (plus any assorted industrial accidents that occurred in your working life) you'd have a pretty good chance of reaching your 60s or even 70s. For the same reason, the fact the average life expectancy was in the mid-30s in mediaeval times didn't mean you would die of old age at 39 or anything like that!
October 29, 2010 at 8:58 am
There weren't a whole lot of options for women back then - teacher, nanny, scullery maid, wife/mother.
I think it would have depended on whether my family was rich or poor. Probably poor. So I'd probably be stuck with some dismal existence doing whatever I had to to feed myself or relying on some man to feed me. Not a pretty sight either way.
--
Anye Mercy
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October 29, 2010 at 9:17 am
I'd like to think I've be doing something with writing or publishing, and maybe I'd be a teacher of some sort. However I think I might up being some type of carpenter/builder.
October 29, 2010 at 9:25 am
I love the question and the thought...
I think that one of the reasons I went into IT 20 years ago was because it was not the mainstream thing to do. I wanted to be one of those guys who ran around with the Token network signal checkers. I still know nothing about that, but I do see why I wanted to do that. So after I think about it I think I would have started up a club of some sort. A place where I could visit with a lot of people and have a job that not everyone had or did.
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