Welcome, Modern Philosophers! It’s Friday Night and that means it’s time for our weekly Think Tank adventure. I know my regular readers are familiar with this, but the blog has added about 150 new followers since it was Freshly Pressed on Sunday. So, I wanted to take a moment to explain how it works. I’m hoping that those of you who have been here before will make our new friends feel welcome.
Basically, this is the night when we put on our thinking togas and really work up the Deep Thoughts. I throw out a topic, which is very often time travel related (much love to Doc Brown), and we ponder on it and then share our thoughts.
As I point out every week, there are no right or wrong answers. This is just an exercise to stimulate the grey matter and give us an excuse to wear our thinking togas. I try to make the query topical, so tonight, I’d like to honor the Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday.
This week’s topic: If you could use your time machine to go back and witness any famous speech, which one would it be?
Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be a speech given someone famous or real. It can be something out of a movie or a book. The orator could be your Dad, who always talks about the famous speech he gave during that sit in at college, or your pal’s Little League coach, whose pep talk motivated that rag tag bunch to win the state championship. Just tell us why you’d want to be there for the speech you choose.
I had the opportunity tonight to workshop this question with The Girl Who Warms My Heart, and she had a wonderful answer, but it took her awhile to come up with it. I like that she had to take some time to ponder on it, and I hope she’ll share her answer with us. She always reads the blog, but as I’ve mentioned, she’s a little shy and likes to keep her identity a secret. Perhaps you can all persuade her to participate this week?
As for me, I would like to go back to July 1969 and witness Neil Armstrong’s famous “One small step for man…” speech. I’m choosing this one for a few reasons: I’d love to travel to the moon (who doesn’t want to be an astronaut?), I’d like to know that my time machine can travel off planet, I would finally like to put the rumors to rest about the moon landing being faked, and as a long time Sci-Fi fan, I’d like to be there for the moment that made the space age real. We’re talking about putting a man on the moon.
So what are you thinking, Modern Philosophers? Hopefully, none of you pick the time I had to give a speech in high school and bungled the words and totally embarrassed myself. There’s no reason for any of us to have the revisit that, right?
I look forward to reading your comments. Happy Deep Thoughts…
If I could go back, it would be to the day, where Bindi Iriwin gave the speech at her father; Steve Irwins, memorial at Australia Zoo. Nothing touched me quite as much as to see the bravery and heart of a very young girl, who lost her father so tragically, and yet stood up in front of the nation, and spoke of her father in a way that moved me to tears. <3
Very moving comment. Thank you for sharing…
I would go back to 28th June 2009 and attend Stephen Hawking’s party for time travellers. The speech he gave at the party that nobody showed up to would be replacedby a new speech
in my honour, which would be really awwsome.
That does sound like it would be fun. Plus, Dr Sheldon Cooper would be extremely jealous of you.
I go back to the moment Doc Emmett Brown explains how dangerous is to time travel…. then I laugh at the irony…
Gold star for that answer since it includes my alter ego. Go Doc Brown!
I have always admired people who can give a good speech, because I have always been petrified to speak publicly. When I listen to MLK or JFK’s famous speeches I can to this day feel their emotion and rise to my feet. If I could go back, it would be to 2008. I would love to be able to be in the audience as I, yes I, gave a speech to a room so crowded they had to call in police presence to keep it in control. I have no recollection of even talking once I got to the microphone, just the applause at the end. It wasn’t the speech as much as the fact that I actually did it without fainting, crying or vomiting.
Can we get more details on this speech of yours? Why were you speaking in front of such a large audience???
I was a whistle blower. Something wasn’t right at the Charter school my children were attending. I did some investigating and long story short. 2 people went to Federal Prison and the Founder committed suicide before it was all over. The speech I’m talking about took place at the school the day after the story was on the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The only thing missing were fiery torches. I didn’t expect the reaction, considering I was trying to get someone/anyone to listen for over a year.
Wow! That’s amazing. Thank you for sharing! I’d like to go back and witness that speech, too!
Oh, the Gettysburg Address, for sure.
Of course, unlike the people who heard it at the time, I would be fully aware of the political significance, and I would find a way to shake the hand of the President.
I’d also have a futuristic digital camera in hand to record the event.
Would you ask Abe if you could go off later and slay vampires with him as well???
GREAT idea, why didn’t I think of that???
Because you’ve got to learn to think like a Mainer.
Lou Gehrig, 7/4/39, farewell speech.
This Yankee fan is a big fan of that answer!
I would like to be on the set of ‘The Great Dictator’ when Charlie Chaplin gives his big speech. I chose this one because the speech is still very relevant today, and because I’d like to gauge the reactions of the people that were stood there listening to that speech (albeit before they had to listen to it again to get the take right).
The film student in me applauds that answer. I hear Chaplin was a genius, and would love to see what he was like out of character and off the set…
I would like to be at the original Congressional Congress meetings that shaped our nation’s Constitution. Then I’d heckle the crap out of the founding fathers, (“Slaves are only 3/5s of a person? WTF, dudes?”).
Would you wear one of those crazy wigs and try to pass yourself off as a member and then sign famous historical documents? That would be cool!
I would, but I would sign my name as “Hugh Jass.”
Funny! We’d better keep you away from the time machine…
I’d love to be in that huge crowd of Woodstock Music Festival and listen to the opening speech from Sri Swami Satchidananda. And to be with half of million of people listening to a speech for peace and love around the world. To be there hoping for a better future.
That sounds awesome! That would be a wonderful experience. Plus, you could wear your tie dye toga…
A quick note before I answer your query; please add a warning not to read the Friday Night Think Tank during bought of insomnia. I thought a little light reading would help me sleep, instead I spent the next hour thinking about notable speeches and speakers. I guess, I was mistaken about where to find light reading. The good news is that I came up with dozens of answers. After more tossing and turning I was able to boil my answer down to two options:
1. Return to the 2009 Peace Prize acceptance speech and heckle the heck out of Pres. Obama (peace my @#$);or be more mature and
2. Visit either Buddha or Jesus (or both if I can hog the machine a bit) and observe one of their speeches/teachings. I’d love to see a speaker who inspired a religion. That is assuming the machine is equipped with an Universal Translator.
Anyway, thanks for asking. I’ll catch up on sleep at work today.
I’m sorry. You’re new to the blog, so you didn’t realize that the Think Tank is a real Deep Thought-athon. Now you’ll know for next week! Great answers, though. Hope you can nap at work…
Not your fault, I think it was the novice mistake of reading in the wee hours of Saturday rather than the suggested Friday Night. I have learned my lesson, I hope.
Well, I also was up late and didn’t post it til after midnight, so it is my fault as well. I figured it was still Friday night and the west coast. Why don’t you read the new, very light piece I just wrote about Hogwarts? That’s very easy reading…
Thanks for the reading suggestion; will do, after my nap.
A nap sounds so good right now, but I just did the laundry and have many togas to fold…
You ask a cursed good question, Sir! I am not a big Shakespeare Fan, but he did write a couple of things that I like, and I’m in a bit of a whimsical mood at the moment.
That said, I would go back to the first time an actor pronounced these words upon the stage:
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber’d here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
Very deep! Very worthy of the Think Tank! Welcome, and I hope you will participate every week.
Now that I’m aware of the fun, I’ll certainly try! Thanks
I would go back to the Paleolithic (or whatever) and witness the first speech made by modern humans.
What do you think they talked about when they first realize they could form words? Hmmm…
Food
Do you think they ordered over takeout? “Grog’s has best mammoth!” “But delivery take too long. Me want Sabre Tooth Tiger from Og!” Then they clubbed each other…
I was going to say Martin Luther King’s promised land speech, but I’ve been moved by it often enough not to require a time machine. I agree with Mr McKnight though, I’d love to hear the first ever Hamlet deliver his “To be or not to be…”
We are quite the well-rounded, sophisticated bunch, aren’t we? Thanks for sharing…
I’d pop back to the Battle of Agincourt, at which England’s King Henry V gives a rousing speech to his outnumbered troops. Unfortunately, Shakespeare wrote the St Crispin’s Day speech nearly 200 years after the fact, so I’ll have to bring a copy with me so the recitation can be done properly. Then I’d skedaddle right out of there because, man, what a bloody mess that battle was.
Awesome answer. This group is quite the intellectual lot. I’m so proud…
Hmmm…. I think I would only go back a little while and listen to Steve Jobs.
But to what specific speech? Was there one day in history that you’d like to witness and hear?
2005, his commencement speech to a college he did not graduate from because he didn’t graduate at all. “This is the closest I have ever been to a college graduation.”
Thank you for being more specific and for providing video. We’re going high tech in the Think Tank!
Ooh, does that mean I get to be part of your think tank?? Do I do I??
Everyone can be part of the think tank. We do it every Friday night. Stop on by…
Thanks
I am pretty new here, I hope you don’t mind me barging right in on your blog.
This is a blog where everyone is welcome to participate. You fit right in. Welcome!
I guess it would depend on my mood…if I’m in the mood to laugh and be “wow’ed” simultaneously, it would be Sheldon Cooper’s Chancellors Award acceptance speech. If I’m being serious…it’s actually probably Jim Valvano’s speech. He inspires and touched my heart.
Two delicious answers from different ends of the spectrum. Bonus points for mentioning someone who was just in a recent post on this blog!
Hey, Sheldon’s speech was epic. What a way to recite the periodic table.
He’s one cool cat…not to be confused with a soft kitty, of course…
Absolutely. It’s not everyday a man can be seduced by strawberry quick, super Mario brothers theme music and spaghetti with little bits of hot dog cut up into it.
He truly is quite unique.
And a sharp dresser…
I would go back and watch Shakespeare rehearsing any speech from any of his plays.
Would you ask Neil Armstrong why he left out the ‘a’ in front of Man?
Well, that was covered recently on the internet, so I don’t think I’d ask him and ruin his moment. It’s already going to bum him out to discover that another person is up there on the Moon with him, you know?
Fittingly, I would have loved to hear MLK’s I have a Dream speech. Also, JFK’s speeches, anything from Malcolm X. The Gettysburg Address. Hell, let’s go back further. How about William Wallace? I would have loved to hear Queen Elizabeth I speech when she became Queen. We need more women orators in this list…
Keep ‘em coming. All great answers. Thanks for participating in the Think Tank…