I guess I should try and make a difference

I sit around a lot and don’t do much. I’ll read a little of a book, but I get bored fast, and I go back to doing nothing. Today I thought, I’m going to see if I can make a difference. I got in my time-machine and traveled back to April 14th, 1865, and the city of Washington DC, Ford’s Theater in particular.

It was evening and a lot of people were heading into the theater to see the production of The American Cousin, including President Lincoln. I wore my hat pulled low so he didn’t notice me. I have often time-traveled to visit Lincoln when he was growing up, when he was a rail-splitter, and in the White House, but I didn’t want him to see me at this time.

The show started and I remained outside. About 45 minutes later, the actor John Wilkes Booth approached the theater. He was trying to not be noticed, but I’m Lincoln buff, and there’s no way I could miss him. I stopped Booth and in a panicked voice and with tears and sobbing said, “Mister Booth, have you heard?! The President had a stroke and died, right here in this street, less than an hour ago!” Mr. Booth was stunned. And then I noticed a relief pass over his eyes.

I asked Booth if he would join me for a drink in the saloon, “To help soothe our frayed nerves.” Booth at first resisted, so I went back to sobbing and he agreed. I read once that if you cry like a baby, everyone wants to help you because you activated their biological response to want to sooth an infant. We went to The Stewed Toad tavern.

I plied Booth with a great deal of Pount Touty brand whiskey. He opened up that when I stopped him earlier, he was on his way to kill the President. I pretended I didn’t hear and asked him to speak loudly. He yelled his assassination plans. A local constable at a nearby table overheard and took Booth into custody. Though he had a difficult time carrying Booth out because of his stupor.

I left the tavern with the feeling that I had finally done well. I time-traveled back home, and lay in bed in the dark. I began to run through all the events I could change and possibly make the world a better place to be. I must have come up with about thirty-five which I wrote down in the notebook I keep by my bed.

When I woke up in the morning, I couldn’t read what I’d written the night before. I lay in bed for a few hours. Then I got up and went to the living room and sat on the sofa for four hours.