Currently listening to: The Scientist – Coldplay
Nobody said it was easyIt’s such a shame for us to partNobody said it was easyNo one ever said it would be this hardOh, take me back to the start
If I could live in any time period or place, where would I choose and why?
Prompt snagged from: Day One
I asked my friend what he’d choose, and without hesitation, he said The Renaissance. Classic answer. The art, the innovation, the explosion of creativity. Shakespeare was writing sonnets, Leonardo da Vinci was sketching inventions no one understood, and the culture was thriving in a way that still influences us today. I can totally see the appeal. I love literature, music, visual art—all of it. That era was a pivotal moment for the human imagination.
But then I remembered: no running water. No reliable medicine. No concept of hygiene. People were dying from things that modern antibiotics could clear in 48 hours. Also, corsets. And plague. A whole lot of plague. So… hard pass.
Then I thought, maybe The Age of Enlightenment? People were finally starting to think critically, to believe in science and question oppressive systems. Education was valued, and people started advocating for rights and liberty (at least on paper). But then I remembered those rights were almost exclusively for white men with land. Women were still seen as property, and colonization was full speed ahead. Plus, revolutions were breaking out everywhere—bloody, unstable, messy. Yeah, no thanks.
Right now—The Common Era—isn’t looking that great either. We’ve got tech and innovation, but also inflation, political corruption, climate stress, and constant digital surveillance. Inequality’s growing, and everything seems like it’s simultaneously on fire and on sale.
So what the hell?
I want the curiosity of the Enlightenment, the creativity of the Renaissance, the civil rights wins of the 1960s, and the convenience of Wi-Fi. Ideally with modern plumbing and ability to order items online… in the palm of my hand.
But to be quite honest, I don’t think there’s ever been a “perfect” era. Every time period has its own mess, just styled differently. Same shit, different day. So maybe the best era to live in is the one where I’m the most aware of the bullshit and still choose to make time for happiness?
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