Welcome to the Future, Act I

With the rapidly accelerating pace of technological innovation our world has gone through some fundamental, remarkable, profound changes. Opportunity no longer knocks, it texts you "I am on the way, meet me out front." Of course, this is an exaggeration, it normally just honks as it speeds past. And the only people who get to join the party are the people who bought their ticket early.

You know, I live a comfortable life. I probably have reached the level of my incompetence. If I were to be promoted any further failure is probably assured. Given my age, stubbornness and complete lack of technical proficiency it is almost a foregone conclusion. Looking, realistically at my situation, I'm not sure I am able to perform the functions of my current job. Though, we should keep that between us, sanctity of friendship and all.

Anyway, the real problem is nobody understands where they fit anymore. People look around and talk in reverent tones about the good old days. Even people younger than me talk about the past in a way that makes me feel a little sorry for them. Maybe it has always been this way. Maybe so much change scares them.

More than anything they seem to be saying "things couldn't have always been this bad." But, they probably were, in many ways they were much worse. Polio was still a feared, deadly disease until the 1960's, Of course, effective vaccines drastically reduced the threat. Considering the rising swell of groundless opposition to vaccines we may in fact be able to summon at least some ghosts of the golden age.

I look around and think the present is a pretty good place. There are problems desperately looking for solutions, and tragedy is always a moment away, but that is pretty much the way it has always been. It is possible we have reached a nexus. Things have come so far, the next change is going to be of the same scale as the first home computer. It is thrilling to read the speculation. It is an exciting time to be alive.

We have devices that were unimaginable 40 years ago. We carry, in our pockets, or purses, or clipped to out belts computers that would have amazed engineers who designed the little craft that flew to and landed on the moon. We are linked, connected and wired in ways that boggle the mind. I can write this, save it to "the cloud" and edit it on a computer at home, or the gym, or the coffee shop. I can add pictures from another device, and music from a musician in the UK, who I "met" on twitter. And whose albums I buy using a company in Omaha that specializes in the electronic transfer of money. Tell me that ain't cool.

There are so many good things about history, and we should learn all we can from the past. But, what we should learn, more than anything, is if we are willing to embrace the present it ain't bad, and the future has some potential, too. And, I can't wait.

An Entry in the +Whacko Blogs make life exciting contest.

It was a slow day, quiet, almost too quiet. My partner and I were doing our rounds. In the air was a dread, a malingering, ominous sense of doom, oppressive, and tangible. Every corner held a nightmare of potential disaster. Every turn was empty, and silent as a tomb.

My partner and I didn't speak, the sounds would have seemed unnatural in the overwhelming feeling of ruin. Plus, my partner is a dog, so he can be hard to understand during the best of times. This was not the best of times. This almost felt like the end of times.

That is when the call came through. "hey, there, we need paper towels in the kitchen." It was like a bell tolling. It was like the sound of an approaching tornado. It was like the sound your light makes when it is distinguished for the last time, and you shed this mortal coil, and join the choir invisible.

I looked at my partner, who stopped scratching his ear, and looked back. "Cover me while I make a break for the janitor's closet."

He gave me the look that said, "I understand," and laid down to provide suppressive cover fire if things got ugly. And if you had ever been foolish enough to step into our janitor's closet you would know things were going to get hideous. I mean gawd awful, just disgusting, intensely distasteful.







Several years ago we lost our janitor to an accident. One of our deep space explorations came back after a long journey, almost 7 months. The passengers thought since they were astronauts, scientists, and engineers they didn't have to do dishes, or clean the bathroom. When we accidentally asked our janitor to go clean the capsule he quit, cursing all of us as he walked away. It was a tragic accident.

Anyway, since then we have not had anybody to clean anything, least of all the janitor's closet.

I managed to get, grab the roll of paper towels, and dart out without inhaling. We rushed the supplies up the 7th floor kitchen area, 62 steps in all. and narrowly averted a disaster of dripping hands, and spotted floors.

Unfortunately, I forgot to start breathing again, and had to be rushed to the hospital. I ran into our old janitor, he was an orderly now. He got married and had two children, and is working his way through school to become an accountant. It was nice to see him again. It is always nice to know people don't hate you anymore.