Two-Minute Drill: If You Could Give Everlastilng Life to Five Historical Figures, Who Would They Be?

by Allen Kazmerski

An interesting query. Five historical figures….

What would your answer be if you made a list in the next two minutes?

Give it a try. Make a list. Get the stopwatch (iPhone) out. Would your choices to give everlasting life, in vigorous health, of course, be based on their value as a political leader, military leader? religious? social justice leader? musician? lover? adventurer? dog? scientist? peace maker? hero? entertainer? Or would it be your famous Aunt Mary? Or some other deserving soul?

Then, when your list is complete and written in stone, give those choices some more thought over the next day. See if your two-minute drill choices stand up to the light of a new day’s scrutiny. Will you be making any second guesses? Really, it’s too late. Your two-minute list stands for all to see.

If you don’t want to be influenced by my five choices, don’t go on reading. Make your choices now if you haven’t done so. Don’t change any of your first choices; go with your first instinctual choices. Stick with the two-minute drill rule – first people that come to mind – it’s the point of this essay, and it makes it a more amusing exercise. See what pops into your head without any pre-planning whatsoever. Off the top of your head! Fly by the seat of your wits!

Go… clock ticking.

WARNING: My choices coming up!

DON’T LOOK – IT WILL SPOIL YOUR TWO-MINUTE VISION!

Here are my two-minute drill results:

Theodore Roosevelt
Louis Armstrong
Benjamin Franklin
Rod Serling
Walt Disney

Well, that’s it. That’s my list. I must say, after the two minutes had passed, I was quite puzzled to see those names take up residence on that list. Then I gave it some thought – so, I’ll attempt to explain how these players on the world stage rose to the forefront of my two-minute drill. What made my subconscious – that repository for certain stored information – disgorge this list?

My favorite president, Theodore Roosevelt, made the two-minute drill

Theodore Roosevelt (TR) is an obvious choice for me. My favorite historical person by far- I’ve read all of the biographies, own his 20 volumes of collected works, and his “The Man in the Arena” speech hangs on a wall in my home. Where do you start with TR? Let’s start with his adventures out West in the Badlands roping steers and driving cattle, to leading the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill, to being the youngest member of the New York State Assembly, to Governor of NY State, to Secretary of the Navy, to becoming our youngest president. TR was the most significant conservationist president in U.S. history. He created 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, 18 national monuments, and helped establish 5 national parks. He secured the rights to build the Panama Canal, survived an assassin’s bullet, and in 1906, he became the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his successful diplomatic mediation to end the Russo-Japanese War. TR famously summarized his foreign policy as “speak softly and carry a big stick,” utilizing a modernized U.S. Navy and proactive diplomacy to increase America’s global influence. He survived the harrowing adventure on the River of Doubt (a great read) – an uncharted river in the Amazon basin. Mr. Teddy Roosevelt was a busy man.

Teddy earned the right to live forever and continue to be a world leader and adventurer. This was a straightforward “Bully” choice for me.

The great Louis Armstrong

My choice of Louis Armstrong? Well, it just may be that it was based on an antique purchase last weekend. We took our grandkids to an expansive three-story antique store and shopping spree – believe it or not, they love it. Daniel and Lydia run off looking for Star Wars stuff, comic books, toys, old model cars, jewelry, Barbie Dolls, cap pistols, marbles, and such. While Geri and I stumbled upon an old framed blackboard turned vertical, with the permanent lyrics to Louis Armstrong’s “It’s a Wonderful World” written on it. That’s one of my favorite songs, and that framed blackboard now hangs on our back entryway wall.

“They’re really saying I Love You”

I played the trumpet years ago, and I always enjoyed the tone of Armstrong’s brilliant trumpet play and he was widely regarded as the best trumpet player in the world. His energetic “Hello Dolly” and “Mack the Knife” are still a joy to hear. Armstrong was one of the first African American musicians to gain international fame, famously speaking out against segregation in 1957. Louie deserves to live on forever playing that bold, brilliant, and instantly recognizable trumpet tone accompanied by that singular, rich, gravelly voice.

So, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong and his contributions to our wonderful world were recently on my mind. Has someone been on your mind recently, and did that person surprisingly jump the line and vault into your top 5 two-minute drill list?

Rod Serling, a man ahead of his time

We watched a couple of the Rod Serling “Twilight Zone” episodes recently, and I had been reading a little about Mr. Serling. He was a visionary. So he made an impression on me, and my subconscious mind carried him over the two-minute drill line.

He was, of course, best known for his enormously popular TV series “The Twilight Zone.” The landmark black-and-white television anthology series blended fantasy, science fiction, horror, and suspense, plunging ordinary people into extraordinary, surreal, or supernatural situations.

Not only did Serling write the series, but he was also the face of it, serving as its on-screen narrator. The Twilight Zone ran until 1964, and the series garnered Serling three Emmys.

Over the course of his career, Serling wrote an estimated 252 varying program scripts, including co-writing ‘Planet of the Apes,” and won a total of six Primetime Emmy Awards.

Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen, and helped form television industry standards. He was known as the “angry young man” of Hollywood, clashing with television executives and sponsors over a wide range of issues, including censorship, racism, and war.

The opening lines of the series: “There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man… It is the middle ground between light and shadow… It is an area which we call… the Twilight Zone.”

Rod deserves to forever live on, writing new scripts for “The Twilight Zone.”

Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia

Then there’s Benjamin Franklin. If there is an historical person that would be the favorite on my list after Teddy Roosevelt, it’s Franklin. I read his biography years ago, and it made a big impression on me. Where do you start with Ben?

As I found out, Ben was described as an American polymath. Polymath. I never heard of that word before, but it simply means a person of wide knowledge or learning. He was a “Founding Father” of our country and a diplomat. A self-made publisher, scientist, First General postmaster, and statesman, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence and secure the French alliance that won the Revolutionary War. He remains the only person to sign all four key documents establishing the United States.

Ben was a prolific practical inventor, and among his inventions are: the lightning rod, bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, flexible urinary catheter, glass armonica (musical instrument), swim
fins, odometer, and the long arm (a long wooden pole with a mechanical gripping claw at the end, designed to reach and retrieve books from high shelves). A busy man indeed. A busy genius indeed.

Benjamin Franklin was famous for his witty, practical advice, and here are some examples:

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
“Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.”
“A penny saved is a penny earned.”
“Lost time is never found again.”
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
“Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.”
“In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.”

….and my favorite,
“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”

Benjamin Franklin has earned everlasting life – we cannot imagine the inventions Ben might come up with to better our lives, not to mention those wonderful, witty sayings. Ben lived one of his quotes – “Well done is better than well said.”

The creator of Disney World, Walt Disney

Who wouldn’t want to experience a little more fun in life, and what else provides fun like Disney World, the namesake of Walt Disney? Walt was a pioneering American animator, film producer, and entrepreneur who fundamentally revolutionized the entertainment industry.

Disney created Mickey Mouse, one of the world’s most recognizable fictional characters and a global cultural icon. A pioneer in animated filmmaking, he produced Steamboat Willie, one of the first cartoons to successfully synchronize sound with animation, helping launch the modern animation industry. He produced the first full-length, animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, proving animated films could be a commercial success, thus changing the film industry forever.

Disney opened the world’s first modern theme park in Anaheim, California, replacing traditional dingy amusement parks with an immersive, clean storytelling environment. His massive Florida resort expansion began with the Magic Kingdom, and soon added Epcot, featuring grand pavilions in Future World, and the world showcase, highlighting global cultures and technological innovations, creating an entirely new scale of destination tourism.

The park has gone on to add Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Fantasyland, and more.

Disney holds the ultimate individual record with 22 Academy Awards from 59 nominations and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, along with France’s prestigious Legion of Honor.

Disney was an engaging public personality, and millions of Americans invited him into their homes through television, where his calm, enthusiastic style made him feel like a trusted friend. More than anything, he entertained us on TV, at the movies, and at those magnificent theme parks.

Today, the Walt Disney Company is one of the world’s largest entertainment companies. Its films, television networks, streaming services, cruise ships, and theme parks entertain hundreds of millions of people each year. Characters created during Walt Disney’s lifetime remain beloved across generations. Perhaps Walt Disney’s most famous observation best captures his philosophy: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

I was always a big Walt Disney fan. Walt has earned his gift to live forever – we cannot even imagine what he could build. Only he could conceive it.

The Wonderful World of Disney. Enough said.

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Feels nice to have the power to give everlasting life.

The world would be a better place with the people you and I picked to bestow everlasting life on. Thanks for playing along.