Like Duck to Water, thats how I have taken to life :). This blog is the saga of love and adventures of a small duck in a large water body called LIFE....

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Saturday, July 25, 2009

A step forward in time..


What if you had a glimpse of a day, say 10 years into future? Or maybe you could travel in time to the future and you see what happens to you then? What if you find out its not what you expect it to be today? I guess there is no question necessary if you find out that everything is exactly as you wanted it to be. Would you think its fate and resign yourself to what you saw? Or would you try to change whats to come? I'm sure you must be thinking what brought this on. Three things actually :).

First was a book I read called "FlashForward" by Robert J Sawyer. Its about a huge experiment resulting in most people in the world having a "flashforward" for a few moments where they see a glimpse of what they are doing 20 years in the future. There are 2 main protagonists - one of whom is engaged to one girl, but sees himself married to another woman, while the other doesn't see anything, which they later discover to mean that the person is dead. The former guy thinks that the future cannot be changed, so he starts thinking about breaking up with his fiancee, since he thinks thats what is going to happen anyways (indirectly causing the thing himself). The latter guy becomes obsessed with his death and determines he shouldn't die, so he tries to find people who know something about his death! I won't tell you what the outcome is, in case you are interested in reading the book (I'd suggest you don't look at the Wikipedia link either) ;-). Its two opposing attitudes which result in very unexpected results..

Second was another book called "The Time Traveler's wife" by Audrey Niffenegger . Its about a guy time-traveling all over the different times and finding out stuff long before he would normally find out. Its a beautiful book about the relationship between the guy and his wife, while the guy is jumping all over time. Some of the time travel concepts are not really "logical" (as if time travel itself is logical :-D), but its a book worth reading. In the book, the logic is that you can't change what's going to happen. But then again would you be able to go on if you knew things would end badly?

Lastly I saw a movie on the same concept, "Premonition" starring Sandra Bullock. The movie itself wasn't anything great, but again on the same concept that I'm talking about. We always hope that things are as good or better for us in the future. What would you do if you knew they weren't? Its a very scary thought. More scary is death (there, I said it). I don't fear death for myself but I'm very scared about my loved ones. I pray that no harm come to them and whatever harm may go through me first (on a different track, there is a saying that we are selfish in the matter of death too. We never think that others will suffer if we die, but just pray that we don't suffer ourselves!). Still its scary. So the best thing to do is to stop thinking about what will/won't happen in the future and to live in the moment as much as possible.

On the same note, 10 years ago, if you had asked me what I expected 10 years from then, it'd be pretty much as it is today. I'd certainly have thought that I'd be managing a career as well, but I'm glad that it is what it is. And I'd probably have imagined my life with my-then-current-infatuation, but this life with Sri is wayyyy better ;-). Well, I have some of my past infatuations on social networking sites as friends and lets just say that now I know whatever happens, happens for the good :-D. I am so so glad to have met Sri when I did and to have what I have with him. And no matter what happens tomorrow, I'll always have this :).

Just putting a song which tallies with the situation, Pink singing "Who Knew?" (the video isn't anything great, but the lyrics somehow are)..




Thanks to GAMBITGODDESS for the video.

As the song says, count your blessings now :).

4 Comments:


Ketan retorted...

Hello Deeps!

This was an interesting post. I think in a certain way, we know the future--our death, and all we do is irrelevant. Same could be extrapolated to the existence of life in general on the Earth--as in, if Earth were to disappear suddenly, it won't make a difference to living organisms, and nor any to the 'rest' of the Universe! But well, not all may share my view!

But yes, if I were to know my own future of times I'd be alive, it'll surely make me strive to change it, if unpleasant. Everything we know of Universe is based on cause-and-effect. So, if we change the present, our future must change! Well, that's what I think!

Incidentally, when I'd written my first and only short story (takes over 1 hour to read)--'Residua' (click)--I'd not known your mother-in-law's name is also Geetha. Hope you understand that! ;)


Deeps retorted...

Ketan,

First of all, welcome to the blog. I think even I'd try to change the future, if I knew something was going to go wrong. Even if my actions were causing the very same thing, I'd atleast know that I tried :). BTW my mom's name is Geetha, not my MIL's :).


Ann Dee retorted...

I think about that often. With experience...age...wisdom....I think life becomes more predictable..I'm ruling out the unexpected unpredictables here.

But even if I am given a choice, I'd rather not peek into the future.

Nice blog you have...The ducks reminded me of my D's (like you've a Sri) fav. giveaway - during uncertainities one should emulate the duck - calm from the surface, but paddling like crazy underneath.


Ketan retorted...

Thanks for extending the welcome, and honestly, I too would love to reciprocate if and when you visit my blog, but with your clarification of 'Geetha' being the name of your mother, I'm less sure of recommending that story to you!

Not sure, if too many things on my blog will interest you.

I liked your elegant English and humorous twinge to your posts, and have skimmed through a few more posts--next in the list is PT ;) Will comment when I finish reading and find more time. Till then, take care!