Reflections and Predictions

I'll start by talking about a topic we're all familiar with: technology.

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm quite happy with technology these days. My computer does everything that I want it to do, at a pretty good speed; my Dad has a fancy camera, but more importantly, he lets me use it; then there's various other gadgets of the 21st century, like 3D TVs and smartphones, and they're all pretty awesome.

And yet, it is often the case that we look back into the past, at, say, my parents' generation. They didn't have the luxury of computers, their cameras relied on film instead of pixels, and things like 3D were unheard of. Compared to our current living standards today, it's easy to think that life was 'hard' back then - but they lived through it quite happily. Perhaps, while they were writing letters instead of texts, they felt grateful that they had a postage system at all. In fact, they probably felt the same way as I do now: "Wow, we have this fancy new stuff like trams. It must've been hard when my parents [my grandparents] were my age, when they didn't have the luxury of trams."

What I'm trying to get at here is that the present is only relative. In the grand scheme of things, May 2012 isn't particularly special. We're not at the peak of the technological development curve - it's just that, from our current viewpoint, everything in the past was pretty sparse technology-wise. It makes me wonder... in 30 or so years' time, when I am at the age that my parents are now, are my children going to look back at May 2012 and think, "Wow, we have these fancy new stuff like [say] teleporters. It must've been hard when my Dad [me!] was my age, when he didn't have the luxury of teleporters."? Then I'd say to them, "Actually, son, life was pretty good. Back then, we had these great big things called buses that drive around on wheels and take us places.", at which point they'd ask about why these buses used wheels instead of solar-powered electromagnetic levitation.

In short, I'm quite happy with technology right now, but it's probably going to grow massively in the next few decades. I'm excited.

The interesting thing is how you can use the same thinking process for a vast number of areas, for which I'll list a few here (ranging from incredibly trivial to depressingly true):

- I'm doing pretty well at school. Looking back at my younger years, I'm amazed by how casually I took things, how much time I wasted, how much better I could've done, and yet, at the time, I felt on top of the world. It's strange thinking that one day, I'll probably look back at my current 17-year-old self, counting the hours that could've been better spent elsewhere, shocked by how naive I was [am... will be... the tenses are confusing].

- I've never been particularly successful in the Relationships department. There've been three times when I liked a girl, did something completely idiotic, then came out of it with the mindset of "Wow, that was stupid. I'd better not make that mistake again." (fortunately two of said situations turned out well). Each time I try to take a step back, in the belief that I'm infinitely more mature after that experience, and that the next time it'd be fine. Wash, rinse, repeat.

- I used to think that my Level 100 Sceptile with four Grass moves on Pokémon Sapphire was the best (this may be to blame for the lack of social success). Then he was replaced by a Choice Specs Yanmega, which I utterly (and worse, consciously) ruined by thinking, "Hm, Yanmega's Defense isn't too high, maybe I should give him some EVs in that." Some day, when I have a 31-IVs-in-everything Max-Attack Max-Speed Guts Facade Flame Orb Swellow, I'll probably look back at my current Max-Defense Mix-Attacking Carracosta like it's scum.

- Last one, I think - I really should put a length limit on my journals. I'm sure you'll agree that my MOCing has improved over the years, but at each stage I thought that the most recent one was perfect, despite it being far from that. There was a time that I thought the Shark wasn't a mess; there was a time that I thought the Air Titan's flawed shoulder system wasn't a big problem. Maybe there'll be a time when I'll think that Discharge is... well, I have no idea. The future is undefined, after all.

Anyway, I'm not sure exactly what the conclusion of this journal is. On one hand, it says "Don't take what you have now for granted.", while on the other hand, it says "Some day, you'll look back and wonder why you bothered." Either way, I hope you enjoyed the read; I certainly enjoyed writing it.