In a show I’ve been watching they’ve introduced a time traveler from the future. It’s been done on shows before and the character always is reluctant to say “too much” because “anything can alter the future.” Everyone the future person encounters wants to know what is going to happen. Suddenly, everything is a big deal.
But, here’s the thing, we are all time traveling right now at one minute per minute forward through time. The choices we make, large and small affect not only our futures, but the futures of our children and grandchildren. We try to correctly predict the impact of our choices and set our course accordingly. We don’t have someone from the future, but instead act according to observed historical patterns.
Take the weather, for example. Tim and I have had all of our belongings dragged out of shed on to the back lawn for about two months in anticipation of getting a new outbuilding, but have faced many delays. It has been the driest summer I can remember, but with the approaching fall, we knew, based on previous experience, that the rains would eventually come. The meteorologists looking at satellite images predicted precipitation for this weekend, so we moved everything under the trees and covered it. Now all our stuff won’t get wet until the new shed is installed next month.*
Next weekend is my youngest’s birthday. My two-year-old toddler gets replaced by a three-year-old preschooler. We will have one year to live with her in that state until she turns four. Already, she has been talking a bunch and asserting her opinions about life and bathing. Tim and I are pretty committed to preparing not only our futures but hers and her sister’s the best we can.
Lots of unanticipated and anticipated events have occurred in our lifetime. We’ve seen the introduction newer and faster technologies. We went from landlines to pagers to cellphones to smartphones. We’ve lived through 9/11 and various social and economic ups and downs. Currently, there’s a virus making everyone’s life more complicated. We’re not panicking, but trying to look at historical patterns and consider the advice of scientists who’ve dedicated their lives to observing these things.
We also go to church, pray, and read the Bible. Church right now has been quite tumultuous, unfortunately. Some people have quit attending because they don’t think masks are a safe enough, and others refuse to wear them at all. Tim and I are volunteering with the live stream that allows people to watch online. It’s amazing technology.
The important thing is that we stick together no matter what the future brings. Having sold relationships is what makes everything worthwhile now and I predict in the future as well.
*We hope.
