Unstuck in Time

That describes Billy Pilgrim in Kurt Vonnegut's SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE. Vonnegut was a great writer, and we'll miss him profoundly. I don't by any means seek to compare my work to literature of his level. But I'm seriously unstuck in time right now.

I thought this little time-travel ditty would be something I knocked out in a couple of days. Turns out, there are an awful lot of things to consider when you move someone back and forth through time. First off, what's the transition like? It can't be easy, or people would be doing it right and left all day long. Wouldn't they?

So I made it kind of physically harrowing, getting worse each time she makes the leap. Now that I have her "over there" again, I'm thinking of leaving her there for a good while. It's just too stressful to go back and forth.

Then there are the changes. If one little teeny tiny thing is different, you have to consider how that impacts other things going forward. (Or backward for that matter). The Butterfly Effect comes into serious play here. You can't have actions without reactions. And consequences.

And if you did go back in time, would you tell the people you see there that you're from the future? If you did, would they believe you? How would you prove it?

So many things to think about. Meanwhile...time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking...into the future. (Steve Miller Band, "Fly Like an Eagle")

Have a great day!
Susan