“2020: The Year the Future Was Cancelled,” read the Economist headline. It showed up in my Facebook feed the other day. Along with a link to an article from a magazine called 1843 bearing the tagline, “What happens when you can no longer look forward to anything? We’re all finding out, and it’s not pretty.”
“Wow, what a load of nonsense,” I said to myself without even reading the article. (Even if I’d wanted to, it’s behind a paywall.”
I shared a screenshot and wrote the following:
This post screen-shotted below shows very limited, glass-half-full thinking (and dare I say CONSUMERIST-rooted). Actually there is plenty to look forward to, always. “Cancelled the future”? Pshaw!! The future is NOT cancelled; we have tons of work to do, and plenty of healthy beautiful ways to enjoy life still. Most of all we still have each other.
Other comments in response to the post I read, voicing similar sentiments:
“Amazing new opportunities to streamline what we do, in the new Zoom era. We always can (and must) look forward to making opportunity for work and acquisition of knowledge in the worst of times…”
“Lousy article. What about the joy of reading books? Watching films? Learning a language? Playing chess? Cooking? Eating home made food with family? Conversation?”
“It’s easy to stay present when there are no challenges. This is the kind of year mindfulness practice is for. All you ever have is now.”
Amen!