Who would you rather meet? Your great great grandparents or great great grandchildren?

2016-04-27T19:37:00-04:00

So some might wonder why this type of question might be worth a place here on RallyPoint, but please allow me to explain.

Yesterday, I attended an event with some other Veterans here in Pittsburgh hosted by Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. The event was a reception for this year's members of their Community Leadership Course for Veterans. And as an alumni of last year's course, I was anxiously looking forward to this event. And at this event, they did a little ice breaker which involved everyone taking a card with a random question that you were to then find someone you did not know and ask them your question and provide your answer as well. And this is the question I had.

At first, I was not sure how to answer the question. I mean seriously, if you were given a time machine and had to pick just one; which would you pick? Then the thought hit me. One of the reasons I served in the military was to make this world a better place. A reason I continue to serve within the nonprofit sphere is the same. And what better gauge would there be than to jump ahead and see if things are truly better for your great great children? After all, if you were able to do that and see what issues and troubles there were facing, it might provide you with some ideas on what to do in the present time to help make the world better. You can always research and learn about your great great grandparents but to have a chance to see how successful we have been to make this a better world would truly be interesting.

Then as I thought back to this question I became curious as to what the community of RallyPoint would say. So what say you? If you had access to a time machine and could only pick one or the other, which one would you pick and why?

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Apr 27 at 2016 7:42 PM

2016-04-27T19:42:41-04:00

SGT Ben Keen - Taking an egocentric approach: I'd want togo forward to meet my great grand-children. I can piece together the past. But, I guess I'd want some sort of indication to my legacy.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Apr 27 at 2016 8:49 PM

2016-04-27T20:49:16-04:00

I would like to meet my paternal grandfather and his brother when they served in the British Army in WWI SGT Ben Keen, I met paternal grandfather before he died when my parents took us to England in 1963. He died later that year, His brother Ernest was killed along with his wife when a German bomb destroyed their house during the battle of Britain.
I would like to meet my 32 Great-great-great-grandparents and learn more about their lives since I am interested in genealogy and only know the basics of a few of them.
Thanks for tagging me SrA Christopher Wright

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Apr 27 at 2016 10:04 PM

2016-04-27T22:04:50-04:00

Great question SGT Ben Keen. I think I always prefer to look into the future and wonder what impact I've had on those around me. My hope is that I leave this world a better place and my grandchildren would give me a great frame of reference for this impact.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Apr 27 at 2016 10:22 PM

2016-04-27T22:22:09-04:00

Actually, it's a good question and the answer for me is neither. I doubt if I could communicate with my grandparents, let alone any who came before them. They were peasants, coal miners from the Carpathian Mountains. Unlike celebrities, I have no royalty in my background. Also, I would fear meeting my great-great grandchildren. I'm already ashamed to admit to my living grandchildren that I am part of the generation who surrendered liberty for freedom from responsibility. I didn't do it personally, but I must not of done enough to prevent it because that's what's happening.

Response by LTJG Robert M. made Apr 28 at 2016 10:23 AM

2016-04-28T10:23:56-04:00

Great, great grandfather, I would give him information on stocks, futures and have him leave a legacy!
BTW, he was also a Captain in USCG & my reason for joining!

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Apr 28 at 2016 10:29 AM

2016-04-28T10:29:55-04:00

Neither. I would love to have been able to meet all three of my grandfathers (bio dad's dad included) at their prime. One served in the European theater during WWII and the immediate aftermath - I have never been able to see him in that context. The other went from no education, no money, no prospects to being a locally influential lawyer and member of the community, raising 7 kids, and having the longest running and hands down best marriage that I have ever seen, which lasted over 50 years right up to my grandmother's death a few years ago. I would LOVE to have seen him make such a dramatic change in his prospects. I've been told that there's a lot of him in me, and I would love to see what he was doing at my age so I could copy it.

But if I had to answer it, it would be my great-great grandparents on my mom's side, as they were part of the westward migration and were part of settling the west. No big names, but a hardy and self-reliant group.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2016 10:58 AM

2016-04-28T10:58:28-04:00

I would say my great great grandchildren. I would like to know what the future has brought them and if my children had passed on same traditions of how my beliefs and values had made myself and my family so successful and happy.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Apr 28 at 2016 1:10 PM

2016-04-28T13:10:10-04:00

Some of my great greats were still alive when I was a child, so I would have to vote for seeing the future great greats. I think it'd be nice to see how my family has developed. Seeing what lessons and values have been passed down between the generations. Seeing if any others choose to serve and what branches.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2016 1:57 PM

2016-04-28T13:57:07-04:00

I would want to meet my great great grandchildren

Response by Alan K. made Apr 28 at 2016 2:16 PM

2016-04-28T14:16:12-04:00

Easy....My Great Great Grandparents. imagine the Family History you could get face to face in real time. Wow!.....My wife's Grandmother used to live with us 6 mos. out of the year so my boys got a chance to meet and live with their Great Grandmother who came though Ellis Island in 1907 at the age of 7 (we think) by herself from Poland not knowing a lick of English. They got an education and I learned a lot about the depression.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2016 7:45 PM

2016-04-28T19:45:29-04:00

I was lucky enough to know six of my great grandparents. Just losing my last great grandparent earlier this month, she was nearly 99 and I am 34. I believe my daughter (5yr old) will have at least a few memories of her great great grandmother, and I know I will always cherish seeing my daughter with her GGGrandma.

Response by SSG Jennifer L. Smith made Apr 28 at 2016 8:04 PM

2016-04-28T20:04:47-04:00

Paternal great great grandparents. Michael O'Connor (1830 -- 1883) and wife Ellen. My great grandparents were long passed by the time I was born and their parents (Michael and Ellen; grave shown) in the 1800s; My grandparents (maternal and paternal) were born in the first decade of 20th century and were wonderful. Ironically, I now live in 'turn of the century' times, but a 100 years later. This is amusing as I used to marvel at my grandparents stories of their childhood/young adulthood in the 1910's and '20's. It is now 2016 and wonder if generations to come will be astonished and intrigued with us.

Like Cpl Justin Goolsby, I think it would be terrific to both learn and share ~ Family and cultural history, current advances, and connect with predecessors.