The Future. Will It Be Around When I Get There ?

I know I've been posting a lot recently about the past but that's because, despite having a shocking memory, I still know more about the past than the future.

Yes a very surprising and even somewhat shocking admission.

I try not to look too far into the future as that brings stress with its worrying possibilities. I mean who knows when senility will strike (whaadyyamean it has already ??) and I'll end up on "Dancing With The Stars" or "I Think I'm A Celebrity, Gizza A Job."

The idea of sitting in front of a tv in a nursing home for 14 hrs a day probably isn't that dissimilar from what I do at home now but at this stage in my life, at least I KNOW I'm in front of the tv. Of course if I become totally ga-ga I won't know it so why worry about it ? But I do. I've seen those rooms in nursing homes with about 15 people in Shackleton chairs either staring vacantly at the telle all day or humming tunes that have no ending.

Again, before anyone says it, not that different from my life now !

But before I get all pessimistic about the future, I need to remember those days should be a long time coming. I'm 'only' 58, been retired 10 years and can still climb Hadrian's Wall even if I can't run far along it. I don't think that running along it was in the mind of the designer anyway.

"Lets build a wall across England so those dumbass Jocks will wear themselves out running along it and be too knackered to fight."

"But what if they just climb over it ?"

"Bugger."

So I'm relatively healthy and 58. My mind is still a steel trap and I can follow the plot of Coronation Street and do the Times Crossword - although to be fair, I do it the next day ! Of course there are a few things I don't understand.........

I don't understand how we can communicate with a spacecraft more than 10billion miles away and yet a refund cheque from the AA takes 3 weeks to get to me. Speaking of which, things like that still blow my steel trap mind - Voyager 1, launched in 1977, is the 10billion mile distant spacecraft I was referring to and although travelling at over 38,000 mph, it'll be another 73,600 years before it gets close to our nearest star, not counting the sun.

I should think I'll be seriously ga-ga by then and so won't care a jot. Anyway I'm sure Voyager will come up against some intergalactic traffic cones along the way as they tell us the universe is constantly changing so the 73,600 years could be an estimate at best. Probably. Of course Voyager might also follow Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen into a time warp and be there by teatime next Friday. Or would that be last Friday ? Who knows.

So the future. Is it worth bothering about ?

Well financially, yes.

It's one thing to be senile, it's another thing to be broke and senile. But these days is it worth it to be frugal and even HAVE savings ? Should we be like 1961 pools winner Viv Nicholson and live only for today ? Well bless her holed cotton socks, she may not be the best example !

The annoying thing about the future is that few of us know just how much of it we'll have !

"How long have I got then, Doc ?"

"Well have you kept the receipt for the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy ?"

Yes apart from those with a finite timespan due to a terminal illness, we just never know when the hooded guy with the big scythe is coming for us.

I guess the only sane way is to not even think about him. Personally, despite him having a couple of swings in my direction, I'm really hoping he'll leave me alone for a few decades.

I've also never been a "live each day as if it's your last" sort of person otherwise I'd never do much of anything.

Library book ? Why bother.

New tv series ? Nope.

Big Brother ? Hell no.

And remember, the future is just the past that is still to happen.

Ok I just made that up and although sounding profound, makes no sense at all. But I'm still sending it to Reader's Digest as they'll cough up money for any old rubbish. I'll tell them Churchill said it.

I've just read all this back and I fear the early signs of senility are there for all to see. It's a ramble and like the best rambles, has no direction.

Unlike the future. Which HAS direction.

So there you have it, dear reader. I have (finally) reached a conclusion after all.

The future, my future, is like my car's GPS.

I have no freaking idea where it's taking me !