On (Not Back) to the Future

"Okay. Time circuit's on. Flux capacitor, fluxing." ~ Marty McFly from Back to the Future

So there's good and news and bad news about time travel. The bad news first.  From what I have studied, time travel back in time is not possible. So there is no going back and visiting relatives that have passed on. There's no changing the present by altering past events in your favor. The good news is that time travel into the future may be possible. Einstein's theory of relativity showed that it is at least "somewhat plausible" as we approach the speed of light. Oh more bad news. It is unlikely that you will be able to come back to the present, and if you do, you will be years younger than everyone else and all your friends will have died or become very old. So in all likelihood, time travel is not possible and if it is, you will not like the results. Which is kinda sad, because I really want to know my future. Or do I?

Part of the problem with Attention Deficit Disorder is a lack of patience. Or maybe it's a need for stimulation, immediate response, and action. Many people take that need for stimulation into thrill-seeking such as mountain climbing, skydiving, or bungee jumping. My stimulus of choice is having 15 projects going at the same time. I am not happy when I am bored and I am not happy when I am overstressed, but I do enjoy the juggling act somewhere in between. Either way, ADD leads to a sense of nervousness about the future and about finding the path that I should choose.  I wonder when my finances will get better. I wonder when I will get a car not the size of a bus that rides like a bulldozer. I wonder where my future home will be. I wonder when, or if, I will ever finish my doctorate.  I wonder if I will stay in shape and not fall off the wagon with my food addiction.  I wonder about the next time I will be able to sing. I wonder if anyone ever reads these blogs.

It would be nice to know the future...to use a crystal ball and know the date and method of our death. To see our future triumphs and mistakes...and our legacy. But that is not to be known. I believe if we knew all those details, we would live differently. We would either be content to not do any better than what we saw or sorely disappointed in ourselves and just hide in a fetal position and worry the rest of our lives.

So it would be easy for me to end this blog with a few verses that simply say "trust in God" and "be still" and "put your future in God's hands".  I believe God can relieve our fears about the future, but I also believe a little bit of fear and reverence for our future is necessary. However, we should not lose sleep and worry ourselves into an ulcer, because we cannot change some things about the future. All we can do is build the future one brick and moment at a time. The mortar is the choices we make and the relationships we create.

I will always worry about the future. I just have to realize that I am not in control of the outcomes.  There are too many variables beyond our control. I can only take a deep breath and move on the next moment, and treasure each one. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the amazing....

So we CAN travel into the future: one second at a time just like the rest of the world. Make every second count.