What couldn't you live without?

[MASONTX]

I often hear people say they couldn't live without their computer or cell phone. I also hear people wishing they lived in an earlier era when things were simpler. These two concepts got me to thinking, what couldn't you live without if you could move to an earlier era where things were less complicated?
The things I would miss, in addition to my computer and cell phone, would be anti-biotics, refrigerators, electric starters on cars, and maybe air conditioning. For me, I would trade off a lot, but would want to live in post WWII. What era would you choose?

[nujinini]

I personally would prefer the more relaxed environment in the early 80's. But maybe this is just because I was in my twenties then and was at the prime of my life.

[rokytnji]

Man, I wish I had been in my prime in the 1930's which was the golden age of American Motorcycling knowing what I know now. Things were just built swell then. Just watch any Thinman movies and pay attention to the neat decor and gadgets. Everybody drank and smoked then like there was no tomorrow also because living was legal (edit::white guys perspective) , not like it is now.

Edit: Case in point for above sentence. Snoop Dog just got busted at the Sierra Blanca Border Patrol Checkpoint recenty, which is about 20 miles west down I-10 from my ranch in Esperanza. I used to drive through that checkpoint every morning on my way to work and those BP officers (some of them anyhows) can act like stormtroopers, "Vwere are your Papers!"

I've seen them lock up a 80 year old man for a joint in his car. I figure after 60. You should get a bye on that.

Only thing I could not live without in a earlier era is my wife so time traveling with me would have to be a must.

[Rubberman]

Roky, you rock! (pun intended!). Even though we yell at each other a lot, after almost 38 years, it would be difficult to give her up! So, in order - wife, mandolin, guitar, books, family... I could live without family, books, and guitar, but I would NEVER give up my 1904 Gibson A-Series mandolin!

[atreyu]

Great poser.

I would love the notion of raising my kids in a Smart-Board-less school and Wii-free house. I hate my phone so I wouldn't miss that. Computers are fun, but I wouldn't miss them. If I went back too far, I would miss my music, though (so maybe that sort of includes technology/gadgets).

There have been some great ages in the history of our world that I would love to have been a casual observer of, but if it was "permanent", I'd have to go back to the 70s. I am a big fan of classic rock (and some of the Pop/softer stuff and R&B to a lesser degree), so the music alone is enough to hook me, but there were other pop culture gems that were entertaining, too (comedy was really taking off, TV was hilarious, movies were awesome, hairstyles were crazy, short-shorts and bell bottoms were huge, Iron-On t-shirts and aluminum lunchboxes were too cool...). Anyway, I was young when I first went through the music of the 70s, so I'd love to go back and experience it "knowing what I know now".

[Roxoff]

Well last night we had an internet outage at my house (the broadband router decided it was going to forget everything it ever knew...) and I had to talk to my ISP to set it up again in line with their settings... It was down from late morning, but when my wife and the others got home from work and their umbilical life support, otherwise known as Facebook (and Zinga cooking, farming, neighbouring, glass blowing, weasel hunting, carpentry, oil refining and whatever) was gone, there were some pretty long faces. And it got worse as the evening progressed because it took me and ISP help guy a couple of hours to get it all kicked up again.

I think there are websites that they cannot do without.

(Of course, I took all the plaudits when it was finally back on)

Personally, I could do without quite a lot of my tech. It's only a tool, after all. I suppose it doesn't really matter what era I'd prefer, 'cos it's all relative. I'd absolutely hate being, say, a writer in the early 20th century, I don't know how I'd manage without a word processor.

[cousinlucky]

Although I am a computer illiterate I could not do without the knowledge and tranquility of the yin/yang
principles that helps me to retain my sanity. I have become addicted to being on-line every day and if
the Internet shut down it would pain me very much!!

[oz]

I'm thinking that food, water, oxygen, and sleep are about the only things that I truly couldn't do without, at least for very long.

That said, I'd sure hate to have to walk, or ride in a horse-drawn carriage/wagon to get anywhere other than short distances, so modern transportation is a big plus. Believe it or not, I could make do just fine without computers and the internet, and I simply can't stand my mobile phone. In fact, I often think about smashing it with the biggest sledge hammer that I can find, but insurance might not reimburse for that.

If it were possible to transfer yourself into another period of time, I have no idea which one I'd pick, or if staying in the present time might be the best option, so would definitely have to give it a great deal of thought.

[elija]

eye cud knot leave whiff aught ai spill chicker

[oz]

lol... since you posted that right after my post, you made me go back and recheck my own spelling!