The Future or the Past

By Andrew R. Duckworth

When thinking about what tomorrow might bring, one must reflect on yesterday as well as today. By viewing yesterday in relation today, one might see our progress societally or as a species. This is the only lens in which we can see the future, as knowledge of tomorrow is so limited.

This, of course, does NOT mean that we can’t have hope if we find ourselves in less than ideal circumstances. I recently began a book by George Orwell, not the ones we typically think of when we think of the now household name “Orwell.” His novel Down and Out in Paris and London discusses extreme poverty in the early 20th century. One of the things that has stuck with me so far is the idea that, in some ways, there is less to worry or concern yourself with the less one has. Of course, I have not yet finished the book, so the conclusion might be totally different. However, it is something that, in some ways, makes a lot of sense. This isn’t to disregard the brutal realities of poverty, but rather, in my mind, to call those who are privileged in life to the understanding that the less one has the less one holds on to. This can be taken both literally and figuratively. In the literal sense, “stuff” becomes the subject. You have possessions and you’re covetous of them. The less you have, the less you covet. In the figurative sense, worry vanishes. What am I “holding onto” from the past that I can’t part with? This leads us right into the future. What are the reasons for our worry?

I find myself worrying about the future far too much in this present time. Some of this is due to my view of the world around me in our present. The world seems to have almost reached midnight on that retched clock. So, what led to this current moment? A lot. There are still events in our recent past that are horrendous, that come to mind almost without having to give too much thought. Chances are, you’ve already thought of a few. What does it mean for our future? I’m unsure. But, as I ponder now, I hold little hope.