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11-22-63, Adolph Hitler, Blogs, Jimi Hendrix, Lee Harvey Oswald, Static in the Airwaves, Stephen King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tim L O'Brien, Timothy McVeigh
The Day Kennedy Was Shot…
The Day That Changed The World…
What If You Could Change It?
I must confess. I have only read one novel written by Stephen King. I have enjoyed many of the movies derived from his novels, but I just never cared to read any of his books. I enjoy a good horror movie, I just don’t read books from that genre. What a shame.
While wondering the aisles of my local Barnes and Noble this past November, I happened
upon King’s latest novel 11-22-63. The unusual title caught my attention. I picked the book up and read the inside jacket. The basic premise of the story idea sounded intriguing and with some hesitation, the book is 750 pages, I headed to the cashier. I was excited about reading a King novel and even more anxious to see how this plotline would play itself out. The story line presented endless possibilities to my imagination. (Note: there are no spoilers!)
From the author’s website: Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.
Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.
While reading the novel, I couldn’t help myself from thinking about events I would like to change if given the chance to go back in time. There are some stipulations attached to this idea. You can not go back in time and change something in our own personal life. I’m sure there are many things we would like to change. There would probably be fewer ex-wifes or ex-husbands banished from our timelines. The decision to change careers could be erased. The money lost in that bad investment would be back in your pocket. That night you had one to many drinks at the party and got behind the wheel to drive home could be erased. However, that is not the question raised in this book.
If you could go back in time through a portal what national event would you change?
It would reason that most of us would like to change the outcome from September 11, 2001, a date that resonates with us just as 11-22-63 does. However, I don’t know if it would be possible to stop a network of terrorists. Unless you’re Jack Reicher, Mitch Rapp or Garbriel Allon. In King’s novel, the goal is for one man (Epping) to stop another man (Oswald). It would be impossible for one person to stop the entire network of terrorist and preventing the horrific events of 9-11 from every taking place. You can not just march into the White House and warn the appropriate people.
Here in my homeland of Oklahoma, I’m sure there are many who would like to go back 
and stop Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols from blowing up the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City which caused the deaths of 168 people and injuring 800 more. At the time, it was the worst domestic act of terror in the United States. Seems the odds of stopping two men from their intended plans is not too far-fetched.
Earlier this month we celebrated Martin Luther King Day. It would be gratifying to celebrate his birthday every January 15th with him still alive. Thwarting King’s assassination seems possible for one person to attempt with a realistic chance of success . Who knows what the future would look like if a shot never rang out that day at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The race riots that followed would be erased. Imagine the beautiful speeches he had yet delivered.
For those seeking high adventure and dangerous odds maybe you prefer to go back in time to Nazi Germany and prevent Adolph Hitler from ever seizing power. I imagine that, at some point in Hitler’s rise to power, it would have been possible to stop him. What would the world look like today if the Holocaust never happened or World War II never took place?
Of course, maybe you are not interested in changing a national event or risking your own life to do so. Maybe you prefer to go back in time for personal gain. Imagine the 
money you could stockpile gambling on future sporting events where you already know the outcome! Maybe you would like to beat Steve Jobs to the punch and take credit for all of his future inventions. You could live like a King. Own your very own deserted island.
If you’re a music fan you could travel back through the portal to prevent Stevie Ray Vaughan from boarding that helicopter in East Troy, Wisconsin headed to Chicago. Perhaps you try to prevent Jimi Hendrix from overdosing that night at the Samarkand Hotel in London.
The possibilities are endless.
Would you be willing to go back in time? What national event would you go back and try to change? Or would you rather time travel back through a portal for personal gain?
Tim L O'Brien's Blog - Static In The Airwaves 
You forgot Matt Damon in the list of those who could have prevented group of terrorists! Hahaha!
Great post for thought…there are so many to choose from. I would like to think if I could choose just one, I would be altruistic and would change a national event.
Jason Bourne would be a great choice!
Really great post. My first thought was Hitler. Such widespread, utter destruction.
If you could choose only one ‘target’ that would have the greatest impact on lives saved Hitler would be my choice. As in King’s novel, you must spend time following your mark and do your research. The language barrier would make things difficult, but then again, the beers in Germany are too bad!
Everything I’ve read or seen about time travel suggests that going back and changing even the smallest thing alters people’s lives and history in countless unexpected ways, usually negative. So… that’s a tough one to answer. I do wish the holocaust (holocausts, actually) never happened…or 9/11…
Have you read Stephen King’s book, On Writing? If not, I highly recommend it. One of my favorite books.
Great post, Tim!
I wasn’t too familiar with the consequences of time travel when I read the book. Trying to avoid any spoilers for those who haven’t read the book I didn’t mention the consequences. Plus, the idea of changing something from the past is no fun if consequences are involved!
I haven’t read King’s book, On Writing. I will check out it though. Thanks for the heads up!
Okay, if this is the welcome back party, where is the beer? Don’t be serving me no Bud dude. I’m thinking a Pacifico sounds pretty good! Oh and laying on that hammock! LOL! 🙂
Hmm. You are quite the thinker Tim. And I too have never read a Stephen King novel. I just didn’t feel like having a nightmare, you know what I mean. Creepy. But I know that this novel was something of a departure for him. I’m not aware as to how his audience received it. 750 pages would not make a good eBook.
If I could go back in time I think I would’ve convinced Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit. It’s really given women a bad rap, not to mention how badly it screwed up mankind. And I don’t think Jason Bourne can fix this one.
Welcome back Tim! Loved this post. 🙂
The Pacifico is on ice!
This novel wasn’t creepy at all. The ebook version was over 1,000 pages!
Eve is a great reply and one I never thought of!
It’s fun to ponder, especially those that you suggested. But I think I’ve watched too many Twilight Zone episodes where one change sets the world on an alternate path that may not actually be better.
Time traveler beware!! 🙂
I haven’t read this King book–but I’ve read most of his other titles and he definitely has a knack for creeping me out!
As I mentioned in August’s comments, I was not familiar with the consequences of setting the world on an alternate path. Sometimes thinking about the consequences of our actions is no fun!
Interesting question. Since I’ve always been a huge admirer of Princess Diana, I would like to go back and be able to talk her out of getting in that car. I still sometimes imagine what she’d be doing now if she were still among the living. I’d have to think she’d love her new daughter-in-law and be supporting the same wonderful charities she worked with.
I know it’s not earth-shattering, but that’s what I would do if I could.
What a fun post, Tim. Really gets a person to think.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Great answer! I never thought about her, but you right, the world would be a much better place with her still alive.
Great post Tim! Makes one put their thinking cap on. But like August mentioned, I wouldn’t want to mess with the butterfly effect. The cost could be too great. Things are set the way they are for a reason. But like on the show Fringe, it would be interesting to go back as a “watcher”/observer and see if there is anything history missed, got wrong or failed to record. Not that I want to watch anything horrific, such as the holocaust. Peoples suffering is not high on my list of a good time.
Welcome back Tim!
Thank you Debra for your kind comments. It was a fun concept to think about, without the butterfly effect, of course. I have never seen the show Fringe. I’ll have to check it out.
I really have to read this book! Time travel, and the consequences thereof, is what my my current release deals with! Only in Time’s Enemy, my travelers can change things in their personal lives. My hero wants to prevent his daughter’s murder, and boy does he screw things up.
On a larger scale, 9/11 is the first thing I’d think of too. I don’t address it in my book, but I’m still amazed that more people didn’t die that day. Who knows, time travelers could have gone back and made some phone calls to tell friends and relatives who worked at the WTC or Pentagon to go in to work late. 🙂
It was a really fun book to read. I even gave a copy to mom and sister for Christmas presents, and they both loved it as well. I think stopping 9-11 is worth whatever the butterfly effect or consequences would be.
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Makes me think of the movie, ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’ where some guys go back to the 80’s and make a few slight changes. When they go back to modern day, everything is changed -they have wives and lives that they don’t know about because they didn’t actually live them. It was a party flick, so it wasn’t supposed to be taken seriously, but it made me sad at the end when all the guys had everything they ever wanted, but didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy it before.
If I could change one thing? I know what it would be, but it wouldn’t matter. Even if I changed something, the history of the world would play out on its own and who’s to say my change wouldn’t make things worse? I might be altruistic in my belief that I’m making the world a better place, but bad things will happen regardless of my good intent.
Like you said, consequences. I think I’d prefer to go back in time and just be an observer. I’d really, really like to hang out with Queen Elizabeth I.
I forgot about ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’. That was a funny movie. Of course, there was also ‘Back to the Future’. Now Queen Elizabeth I is a very interesting and unique answer!
How about the nuclear bomb and Hiroshima? Nuclear energy really freaks me out. While it’s a great power source, the consequences of it’s power is to horrific for my blood.
Gosh, King’s book sounds really good. I’m going to have to go check that out, Tim. 🙂
The book was fairly long, but well worth it, in my opinion!
I second the recommendation to read Stephen King’s On Writing.
As for time travel, I’d do the selfish thing. I’d go back to catch Woodstock. I’d have a blast at the concert, and then I’d come home to my Kindle, computer, and iPad.
Great post. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts.
Another very cool and unique answer! I would have loved to been older and experienced the ‘hippie movement’ of the late sixties. Plus the music was so good back then. Woodstock would be the ultimate concerts to go back in time to attend.
I don’t read ANY Stephen King books…or watch his movies (except Stand By Me…and I do love Haven, which is based on The Colorado Kid).
I’m afraid I’d go back in time for personal reasons. Not entirely selfish, but to warn four loved ones that they were going to die too soon, what decisions they made that caused their deaths…and hope they would believe me. I miss them very much and would give a lot to have them here. 🙂
We each have our own reasons to want to go back in time. I wish you could go back and warn them.
Before I was born, my maternal grandmother was the victim of a hit-and-run driver while Christmas shopping for her family. My mom was such an extraordinary person, I would have loved to know HER mother. The one thing I know and admire greatly was her marching as a suffragette in the efforts to give women the right to vote. I definitely would like to stop that driver. It wouldn’t have changed the world, but it would have changed mine.
I used to read King but the gratuitous violence put me off and I stopped. changing history? certainly hitler would never have got to power. Lee Harvey Oswald would have been stopped. and I can think of a few politicians I wouldn’t have in office in Canada.