Dinner + 3 people = ?

I asked my students last week to write essays on the following prompt: if you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would they be and why? After proposing the questions to my students, many asked what my answer would be. In fairness to them, I've decided to complete the assignment as well.

My first choice would be William Shakespeare. I can't help but drink in his writing. It's amazing to me that his work has survived through time; he's one of the most known--if not THE most--known writer of all time. Was he a racist, sexist, religious? I'd want to know which writer inspired him and how he developed his ideas. Was he real? Some have argued Christopher Marlowe faked his death and reemerged as Shakespeare. Others say "Shakespeare" was a pseudonym used by a group of writers at that time. If these theories were true, I'd want to know the reasons for the deception.

My second choice would be Jesus Christ. Jesus has been one of the most influential figures in history. Belief systems to this day are vested in him and his life on Earth. Wars have been fought in his name, and people still debate whether he ever existed. His influence exceeds Christianity; while not all religions see Jesus as the Messiah, some of these religions consider him a prophet and an important reflection of goodness. What was life like on Earth? What does he think about religious wars? How does he feel about conflicts between religions? (I can't go into much detail about this section because I am limited by what I can say as an Americorps member).

My last choice would be to meet myself. Sounds conceited, right? Regardless, it would be so interesting to see myself outside of myself. What kind of mannerisms do I have? Do I say "like" a lot (yes!)? How am I perceived by other people? What will I be like in 10 years? 20 years? 30 years? Is my voice as nasaly as I think it is? Do I fidget a lot? Is my butt as big as I think it is? Do I smell bad? It would be so awesome to see myself in a different light. The possibilities for learning are endless!

If a Genie popped out of my water bottle tomorrow and asked me to choose three people on the spot, it would still be incredibly hard to choose. Tomorrow, I may not choose any or all of the people mentioned above. However, at this point, I'm pretty content with my selections.