Can You See the Future?
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A couple of days ago Liz Strauss asked the question, Can you see the future?, and talked about how our cumulative experiences in life give us the ability to choose our own futures (thanks, Liz!). Several thoughts came to mind…
There’s a hallway junction in my office building that has one of those big round mirrors mounted up there near the ceiling. It’s there so we can see around corners, and to help prevent collisions with mail carts and, er, people in a hurry who don’t watch where there going (but it’s OK, I’m fine now).
But I got to thinking about that mirror (that rattling noise you hear), and wondering, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if we had a big round mirror with which we could look around the corner of our lives and see what was coming? It would sure make it a lot easier to choose a clear path forward.”
Interesting concept, don’t you think? Then I remembered something from a few months ago, when I went to my high school band reunion.
Now, before I go on, I’d just like to go on record as saying that I’ve always believed there were two kinds of people in the world: those that go to their high school reunions, and those who don’t. Me, I’m definitely the latter.
See, even the phrase “high school reunion” conjures up an image of five solid hours of putting on your best face, mingling with mostly total strangers, and all the while doing your best to stand up straight and hold in your stomach. Not my idea of fun!
The fact is, I was something of a wallflower during my high school years (still am, as a matter of fact – but at least now I can honestly say I’m a work in progress). And, because I didn’t really get to know many people in high school, I never made the effort to keep up once I left.
Oh, it’s not that I’m antisocial or anything; I can be as social as the next fellow – when I want to be, that is (see “work in progress” above). But as I mentioned, this was a band reunion, and they’re the folks I did hang around with.
So I surprised myself by going.
To tell you the truth, it was still a little like the above described ordeal. As expected, these people were practically total strangers! I mean, here we were, sitting in the same room, yet the only memories we had of each other were from 35 years in the past. It was an unusual experience for me, to say the least.
Even so, it went well. We began to ask questions and find out what each of us were up to, and even rejoiced in each other’s accomplishments. (Er, yes *ahem* – everyone was so proud of the space walk I did a few years back when I repaired that satellite that would have fallen on the Madison Square Garden, and by the way, saving the Earth as we know it.)
But I remember thinking about who we were (just a bunch of zany high school kids), and who we turned out to be (contributing members of society – despite dire predictions of various parents, not a mass murderer in the bunch!), and thinking, “How did this happen?”
Speaking for myself, I have to admit I kindof floundered around for a while, searching for what I wanted to do with my life, even dabbling in the engineering field with little or no conviction. But eventually I reached a point where it became a conscious decision to actually chose the career path I have today (ironically enough, in engineering).
So eventually I discovered the truth of what Liz is pointing out; that I finally chose my own future, instead of just letting it happen. Ah, but here’s where it gets good, though.
The end result, as it turns out, is this: Satisfaction with life, and excitement about the future!
Pretty cool, huh?
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16 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Nice one Robert – and very recognisable too.
)
(The only time I went to a secondary school – is that the same as a High School? – reunion was the year after we left that school – not much fun, not much to tell
Choosing ones future needs experience first I think – and a lot of trial and errors on the way.
You’ve made me put my pondering hat on. Think I will put pen to pare on this (fingers on keyboards more likely)
Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)
Karin, I agree that choosing one’s future wisely takes experience.
But then again, some folks just seem to know! It used to irritate me no end in college when my roomates all seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do with their lives.
It took me until I was in my 40’s to finally “choose” where I wanted to go! Late bloomer, I guess.
You, sir, are a wise and lucky fellow, and I’m grateful to know you!
Aw shucks, Mike – you’re just sayin’ that. (Pssst – but have a Klondike bar, on the house!)
Thanks, I appreciate the sentiment; right back at’cha, Buddy!
From one “late bloomer” to another – that’s the way to go!
Satisfaction with life – oh yes
Excited for the future – every day!
Are those college roomates still doing what they wanted to do? Surely 35 years on some of them are onto another phase of their life and have made changes to go with it?
I have met some very wise young people and some older folks who must have been at the end of the queue when the wisdom gift was being given out – power to all of them.
Hi Robert
Late bloomers galore I think
Karin H.
Jackie, I haven’t kept up with my college roommates, so I don’t know what they’re up to now. But the I’d say the odds are good they’ve changed careers several times by now!
It took me a long time to realize that “waiting to be sure of where I wanted to go in life” was a good thing, not a sign of… something else.
Hi Karin! I don’t know if you ever heard of an old TV show called “Mork and Mindy”? It was a comedy starring Robin Williams as Mork, an alien from the planet Ork. Very funny series!
But one quirk about Orkans – they were born old, and grew younger!
I’ve often heard the saying, “youth is wasted on the young”. Seems like there might be a grain of truth in it after all, don’t you think?
Robert
I was always a great fan of Mork and Mindy (The Netherlands are a bit civilised you know, we did watch some interesting – and loads of rubbish – American series
Nanoe nanoe my friend.
There is truth in there (or is that experience?) Other interesting fact for me though: I’m a Capricorn (double one even) – they are born old and get younger with every year!
Karin H.
“Rubbish”? American television? I have no idea what you mean!
Good to know you got M&M there – at least you got some culture!
Robert,
I’ve tagged you for the “Super Seven Meme.” Details at my blog. Here’s a link: http://www.writersnotes.net/seven-super-cwords-for-the-super-seven-meme/.
Can’t wait to see your seven super D-words!
Cheers!
Jeanne
Hey, Jeanne – does it count if I make some up?
Bob, Hurrah! Choosing your own future beats just letting it happen. Interesting that though you don’t like going to class reunions, you were daring and chose to go anyway! Hmmmm…
Hmmm, Robert, that’s an interesting question. I’m afraid you’ll have to check with Dan on that one.
It would be fine with me, though–as long as you could provide a definition and rationale for that definition, based upon each word’s root, structure, etc., etc. (Are you sure you’d want to go to all that trouble? It’s a lot easier to simply look through the dictionary.) 
Cheers!
Jeanne
Howdy, Robyn! It was one of those things that suddenly seemed to “make sense”, if you know what I mean. The main school reunion went on without me as usual, and I still don’t miss it.
But the band reunion turned out to be well worth going to. Yes, it was a bit of a dare, but at least they weren’t total strangers.
Jeanne – well, I’ll have to give that a bit of thought (sound of gears grinding…)