Today's Challenge:
My favorite quote of all time is Alan Kay: 'In order to predict the future, you have to invent it.' I am all about inventing the future. Decide what you want the future to be and make it happen. Because you can. Write about your future now.
Today's entry:
Alan Kay's quote (or a variation) is actually a magnet on our refrigerator. I've spent a lot of time staring at that magnet, which so far hasn't produced much in the way of enlightenment. Maybe I'm not staring right.
I'm struggling with this one, because I said most of what I had to say about the future on Day 6. To sum up: I'm not really a clear-vision-of-the-future kind of guy. I've always had a pretty good ability to point myself in a direction and course-correct as I go. I don't think there's one perfect outcome for me, and I try to be open to the possibilities along the way.
That said, I do firmly believe in fashioning that future as I go. I may be going west, but the wind isn't always in my favor – I appreciate people who are more Zen than I am, but I don't think I'll ever fully convert. Sometimes, I have to go in a certain direction, even if all the elements and good sense are telling me otherwise. I think even total obstinance can be a virtue in moderation.
Even if a perfect future exists, I'm not sure that any of us are smart enough to fully envision it. I know good art when I see it, but if you said "Think of the perfect painting," I just can't do it. Likewise, I know good things when they come along, and I try to act on them, but can't make a list of my next 100 opportunities on the spot.
I'm not sure trying to see the future that clearly is even wise. I may not be a religious man, in the usual sense, but I do accept that the universe is a lot more vast and amazing than I can wrap my human brain around. Personally, I think that's exciting. There are opportunities and futures that I haven't imagined, and I look forward to discovering them as I go.
