1. My Dad - I imagine that any child who has lost a parent would love to have the chance to chat with them again. For sure he would be my first choice.
2. Karl Victor Edvik - This is my great grandpa who emigrated from Finland. I would love to ask him why he decided to come to the US. I would also like to ask him why he chose to change our last name from Joskitt to Edvik. I have a dream to be able to go bnack to Finland and live there for a month of my summer break. I don't know if I would find the answers to those questions, but it would be neat to see the farm that my ancestors worked. It is still owned by my cousins over there.
3. Joseph Smith - After reading multiple biographies and commentaries on his life, I would like to ask questions about some of the more controversial and less flattering parts of the history of the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Not because I don't believe (I've worked through any doubts that I may have had) but because there is so much speculation and so many various interpretations of his life that it would be neat to ask the prophet himself. It would be hard not to ask for a revelation though. You know, like the ones in the D&C. Except people kept getting called on missions and I don't know if I really want to do that again right now.
4. The Apostle John - He has always been my favorite Bible writer. If he was here, and I was interviewing him, I would have to ask what he thinks of all of our awesome modern conveniences. And I probably have a thousand questions about the Book of Revelation.
5. Jim Rohn - This is the business philosopher that has probably impacted my personal philosophy more than any other. If you have ever heard me say, "Choose to become fascinated", you now know that this is who that phrase came from.
6. George Wyth - His house is one of my favorite places in Colonial Williamsburg. His house was where the major thinkers from Virginia would meet and discuss politics. I would love to ask him what the meetings were like. I would especially like to ask him who, that we don't generally know about, had the biggest influence on the philosophies that came from those discussions.
7. A Soldier From Each Side of the Battle of Gettyburg - Getttysburg is one of my very favorite places on this planet. That area was made sacred, at least in my opinion, by the enormity of what happened there. It would be fascinating to get a first hand account of what happened during those days.
8. George G. Meade - There is an account of a letter that President Lincoln sent to George Meade after the Battle of Gettysburg. Meade had the Confederate Army on the run, and they were hemmed in by the river, which was too high to cross. Meade could have ended the war if he had attacked. But he didn't. Lincoln was despondent about this and wrote a pretty frank letter reprimanding him. He never sent the letter. The question I would like to ask Meade is, why did you not attack? It isn't a question of judgement, but of curiosity. This moment in history fascinates me.
9. Wallace Wattles - He is the author of the Science of Being Great and the Science of Being Rich. I wonder what his morning routine looked like.
10. Socrates - Let's be honest. He would end up asking me the questions.