An Aside - Networking in Heaven

I'm loving the posts by Ellesappelle on her God Is Nice blog. And since things with Liam's TS are calm for the time being, I'm going to borrow an idea of hers.

Here is Ellesappelle's criteria for her list:
Here is a list of some of the people I would like to meet in heaven. Assuming it's possible to meet other people in heaven, and leaving out the obvious choices of family and friends, I make this list without passing any judgement on who has gotten there; this is simply a list of dead people I would like to meet, who are not Bible characters, and since I feel half-confident most of the time that I'm going to heaven, it seems a likely place to meet them.

Here is my attempt at a list. And it's hard because most of the people I'd really want to meet are biblical characters. But here goes:

Julius Caesar. I think I want this one just because I have the HBO image of him burned in my brain. I'd like to meet him to see exactly what kind of man he was. Did he really want good for Rome or was he just another arrogant psychopath.

My birth-dad's mom, Antonia. Now, you might say, hey, that's family. But I'll be sly here in saying I didn't know my birth-family until I was 20. And Antonia had been dead for about 5 years before I was even born. So she's on my list (insert stuck out tongue here). From what I'm told of her, she was just an extremely loving person. I have the impression that her husband was the stable discipline and she was the love and light. I could be wrong. But I'd like to find out if I'm like her or not.

Martin Luther King Jr. I would love to talk to him and it would take years just to hear all his thoughts and stories. His writings intrigue me on so many levels. I think his writings have often been taken out of context - meaning, he seemed to understand that along with civil disobedience came consequences. And unlike a lot of whining champions of all things politically correct these days, he understood he'd have to pay those consequences. He just seems like a totally cool guy.

Marilyn Monroe. I don't really know why on this one. I guess I'd like to find out if she was really as vapid as she appeared to be at times. I imagine there was way more to her than she presented to the public eye. Just one of those things I'd like to find out.

Davinci. And this has nothing to do with the book. I'm just thinking he would be fascinating to know. I mean, all of that art and science all mixed up in one person - I know a few people with that mix and they are incredible to be around. It would be so fun to be able to see what his reactions were as technology took each of its leaps and bounds.

Any servant/slave to any historical icon. Now, this one definitely comes from my love of HBO's Rome. I am fascinated by the thought of servants standing there in attendance during sexual acts, defecation, eating, everything. Just standing there like so much furniture. I want to find out if that was really how it went. And also, back in that time, there seemed to be many servants/slaves that were well treated and kept a type of honor code - not running, etc. It would just be fascinating to see how much of that was truth - how it really was.

Queen Elizabeth I. I'm trying to narrow down all the dead British royals to the one I'd most like to meet. I think Elizabeth I would be my first choice, followed closely by Victoria. But we'll go with Elizabeth I. I'd like to find out how many of the books and movies were even close to the truth. I'd want to ask if she felt the throne was really hers. I'd want to ask what it was like to be a monarch in a time where women were scarcely considered. And as for Queen Vicky - I just want to pat her on the back for having all those kids. Dang, girl!

Normal everyday people from any era. Now, this may seem like a cop out. But I have to say, the iconic figures from history, cinema, music, etc....they get all their due here on earth. When we get to heaven, we'll be finding quite a few unfamiliar faces in rather high places. As you can glean from my few choices above, I have a real love of finding out what is fact and what is fiction from times that I did not experience first hand. I'd love to find out if each era really was like in the movies and books.

Robin Hood. Yes, he's probably a fictional character. But if he was based on anyone real, I'd like to meet that person. And this is strictly as a person who has read/seen anything Hoodian. Call it an obsession. And speaking of obsessions...

King Arthur. Again, most likely fiction but I imagine his legend was based on some one or a few people. I'd like to meet those people. This again comes from just trying to read or see anything to do with the Arthurian legends. And I want to find out of there really was a love triangle - or if there was actually any Gwen or Lance to begin with!

That's my list. Purely off the top of my head. And it would be a totally different list if family and biblical figures weren't off the table.