If I Could Choose a Time to Live In, I’d Pick…
What's Your Choice: Past, Present, or Future?
If you could choose the period during which you could live as a wealthy adult, what would it be?
I never thought about it until my partner shared his preference to live during the 90s in the US. Reasons? Technology boom, opening up of opportunities, and cars. Traveling to his Wall Street job in his classic German automobile, or vacationing in the picturesque Italian countryside, taking his fancy Italian horses—a Lamborghini or a Ferrari—on winding roads under the Tuscan sun, would have been his dream life.
When he asked for my preference, I immediately gave my answer.
He was surprised I didn’t choose the 1900s in England as an aristocrat, considering the number of British historical drama series I’ve watched—or futuristic dystopian times where I could cryo-sleep my way through a voyage to Aurion Prime, 120 light years away.
Believe me, I want neither. I prefer the 21st century.
Reasons?
• Ability to be financially independent
• A chance at a love marriage
• Opportunity to travel
Before you wonder, this is not an article comparing the seriousness of men’s and women’s problems. Irrespective of gender, each of us has different starting points in life in terms of wealth, family support, opportunities, and many other unknown factors.
I genuinely feel grateful to be born in this period. Here are some observations that made me choose this century:
The older women in my family had it tougher
My avva (maternal grandma) got married before she could finish school and raised four kids with my thatha (maternal grandpa). My amma completed her bachelor’s degree via distance learning. Brought up like a princess, she was not expected to work. However, she wanted to become a politician—a dream her family didn’t approve of. After marrying my dad and having me, her life revolved around raising me and navigating our family through ups and downs.
Fast forward to me: attending school and college was compulsory because they were gateways to a stable job. My parents would worry if my grades fell below 90, and not being financially independent was never an option. This pushed me to work harder and carve a career for myself.
It gave my family the confidence to trust my ability to make significant life decisions, including choosing the right partner. Though initially hesitant, they knew I was capable of making decisions in alignment with my beliefs and values.
I don’t think this would have been possible in my family during my avva or amma’s time.
DIY household chores can be backbreaking
The amount of effort involved in running a house baffles me—even with appliances like gas stoves, washing machines, kitchen mixers, and dishwashers that make life easier.
I’ve heard countless stories from my nana (dad) about the chores his amma and elder sisters had to do during his childhood. It was an endless list.
His sisters would take turns going to the ox cart carrying water tanks to fill their eversilver pots and walking back home early in the morning. In the kitchen, everything was manual:
• Ammikal (flat stone grinder) for chutneys and pastes
• Aattukal (grinding stone) for batters
• Ural and Ulakkai (huge mortar and pestle) for crushing grains
My grandpa handled most other tasks outside the kitchen by himself. He could stitch clothes, fix bikes, do electrical wiring, and much more, all while operating his photo studio business.
Like it or not, people who lived before modern appliances had to spend a lot of time on household chores and learn to do things themselves.
Technology made traveling safer and easier
I like imagining myself riding in ox-driven wagons along paved paths or galloping through open fields on a horse. But only through games.
As a ten-year-old, I used to play a game called Oregon Trail. Set in the 1800s, I had to take my group safely to Oregon without losing them to robbers, starvation, or diseases. As an adult, watching my partner play Red Dead Redemption 2, I realize how traveling from one place to another was not only rough but also a risky luxury limited to a few.
Look at us now. We have Google Maps, flights connecting us to the world, and the privilege of traveling for leisure. I wouldn’t trade this for anything else.
Instant access to pretty much anything in metropolitan areas
A recent trip to the cold, mountainous region of Tawang made me realize how much we city dwellers take for granted. Life in Tawang means:
• Stocking up on wood
• Keeping the house warm by burning wood in boilers
• Limited access to fresh produce
• Relying on tetra packs of milk
• Turning off the water supply at night to prevent frozen pipes
• Enduring full-day maintenance power cuts every Saturday
• Timing chores around daily weather forecasts
The last time I had to worry about electricity or groceries was during a cyclone. For most of the year, I can order anything I want using apps—Parmesan cheese, customized mugs, cake tins—you name it. As ordinary as this seems, it’s a privilege not everyone has.
I’ll end my observations here.
The year is 2024. 2025 is just days away. No matter the past, present, or future, the world will always have its troubles beyond our control. We will face difficulties that make us wish for simpler times or another era. Yet the truth remains: what’s difficult for us now might have been impossible for those before us.
So, what do we do? Strive to make life simpler for ourselves and for those who come after us.