Top 3 time periods I wish I'd lived

The other night while at supper with a friend, we were chatting about times in history and how women lived and worked.  I asked the question: if you could choose any other time in history to live, what would you choose? 

Apparently, most grown women do not often contemplate questions like these! Fortunately, she was a good sport despite thinking I'm a bit nuts.

Being that we're friends, she should know that.

In an effort to share all my thoughts with the public, I thought I would share my top 3 times/places in history I wish I had lived.


The American Wild West

picture via

I grew up on Louis L'Amour books and John Wayne movies. I was impressed with the attitude all the women of the time possessed and I wanted to be the tough, but loveable single woman who ran her own ranch or brothel (depending on how sassy I'm feeling). I wanted to be the woman who pretended to be a man and proved she could shoot, ride, etc. as well as a man only to reveal her identity and convince everyone that gender stereotypes were wrong.

In all actuality, I would be the hard and angry woman with 14 children, a husband she doesn't respect, who one day goes out to cut fire wood because the lazy so-and-so didn't who would accidentally lodge the ax in her own leg and die instantly.

I shouldn't kid myself.

Aside: please look at my role model, Annie Oakley, whom I once believed to be the epitome of beautiful and capable woman. She actually looks like the opposite of what I envisioned -- a man, dressed as a woman, complete with her (his) own moustache.


Spy in World War II

Women were widely used in WW2 for missions and roles they had not been in the past. The SOE employed many women who were trained in combat (weapons and hand-to-hand) who were invaluable to the war efforts.

I was (and am) in awe of these women.

Odette Sansom (pic via)

Violette Szabo (pic via)

If I were alive in this time, I would want to be the women who fought in public (and in secret) for the good of her country. I am lost in the romance and ghoulishness of the strength these woman would have had to possess to do what they needed to do.

Again, if it were real life, I would have been a factory worker of thousands putting rivets into things all day. No less important, but exceedingly less exciting.


The Future: Deep Space

Firefly badass Zoe (pic via)

Yes, I know, the future hasn't happened yet and we can't guarantee there will be space ships and space travel and awesome fights against human looking cylons, but if there is? I want to be there.

I realize I am a big big nerd. I'm comfortable with that and you should be too.

I want to be Zoe. I want to be the tough chick on the ship guarding her people while her gentle and wise cracking husband pilots and hides when trouble comes.

In all reality, I will move to the moon, forget to put my helmet on, and die instantly from lack of oxygen.