Mixed Metaphors

“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Peeking Behind the Curtain of My Third Act

It only seems appropriate that on this first day of spring, a time of new beginnings, I look ahead and take a peek at what may be waiting for me behind the curtain of the third act of my life. I find, as someone who journals regularly, I time travel a lot. I review what’s already transpired, I write about what I’m thinking or feeling in the moment, and I look ahead to what’s next.  The thing that makes the future different is that I can only imagine, anticipate, and speculate what it might look like.

When I was a young teen, I was an avid reader of science fantasy, especially stories about dystopian societies, much like the popular books and movies today like The Hunger Games series, or the Divergent trilogy.  Some of my favorites were by George Orwell, Animal Farm, 1984, and Lord of the Flies, Ray Bradbury’s, Illustrated Man and Fahrenheit 451, Aldous Huxley, Brave New World and a utopian novel, by behavioral psychologist, B. F. Skinner, Walden Two.

What these books all had in common is that the author imagined the future. The stories were based on the tenets of human behavior, principles of psychology, sociology, and politics, and in the end were warnings.  As a society we stand at the threshold of an uncertain future, a time characterized by inequities in income and civil rights, culture and gender wars, and political unrest.

As promised in the title of this blog post, I intend to peek behind the curtain of the third act of my life and fast forward through the looking glass like Alice in Wonderland.  Yes, I’m aware I’m mixing metaphors, it’s what I do. First let’s look at my backstory and where I stand today.

The Backstory

As most of my readers know, I’m a single, lesbian-feminist woman, a liberal, left-leaning community activist in my mid-sixties. I continue to work for two basic reasons, I need to and I still want to, yet I’m beginning to wonder what my life will look like as I retire, first half-time, then full-time. My avocations have always fed my spirit, I have an abundant network of friends and colleagues, and I’m grateful that I have good relations with my family, so I’m not worried about being busy and engaged, what I do worry about is will I be able to financially support my future and how will I care for myself and be cared for by others as I age.

Today

As a late adopter to technology, I find it curious that many of my current job duties are technology related. I’m the system administrator for many of my company’s web-based and digital tools. Where I once managed people, I now manage the interaction of bits and bytes, often when they fail to communicate with each other.  A disclaimer: I am not an IT professional by any stretch of the imagination. Regarding technology, I feel that I’m constantly playing catch up, chasing the next update or tool, yet I remain two or three generation of changes behind. Oh my!

Fast Forward

Phones & Communication Devices

The first step forward into the future for me is being forced to relinquish my 2G flip phone. AT&T has informed me that as they upgrade their infrastructure, they will no longer support 2G phones as of December, 2016. Because they want to keep me as a loyal customer, I’ve been receiving numerous texts about how much they appreciate me as a customer. After years of sending me promotional emails offering me a second free Smartphone when I order one and signup for second line (remember I’m single), I finally received a promotional discount I might actually use, $100 off a single Smartphone 4G account.

As my friends know, I currently don’t text. The original reason was my carpal tunnel, but now that that’s been resolved I no longer have that excuse. As a writer, I’m usually long-winded and texting doesn’t currently hold any allure for me, other than the benefit of instant communication. For me however, that’s a plus and a minus. I sometimes find myself resistant to being so accessible. It seems I have less control of my time.

My prediction for the not so distant dystopian future is that we’ll have holographic projectors embedded in the lenses of our eyes so phones, email, and other communication devices will be unnecessary. Eyesight will become enhanced; we’ll be able to receive communications from our information receptor chips (IRC) and GPS locator implants then project the messages holographically, archive, and/or respond, simply by telepathic writing.

The information transmission chips (ITC) implanted in our brains will send outgoing messages. We’ll pay monthly fees (downloaded from our bank accounts by mentally approving the charges) to service providers who will also offer auxiliary premium services (at additional costs, of course) like movies, photo and memory videos, and sense re-experiences.  For individuals who are members of government-sponsored programs, including Social Security, fees will be reduced; however the government will be legally able to monitor all communications.

Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Enhancements

This past week I had my annual eye exam. I’ve been nearsighted since I was young and have always worn glasses.  As I aged, I became farsighted requiring multifocal lenses. My prescription had changed, so I visited my favorite optical dispensary to pick out new frames and order new lenses. Much to my surprise the technology used to fit frames and calibrate lenses also has changed dramatically.

After the cosmetic and fashion decision was made — which in my view always seemed the most important part of the experience — rather than sit in a chair and have the optician manually plot my bifocals, I was now asked to overlay a special set of frames with target points. I was instructed to stand before a mirror, and focus on a point of light, while the optician made entries into the optical plotting device laptop. I did two views, head on and a quarter turn.

Once again, in the not so distant dystopian future, the new lenses which include both our IRC and ITC will also do double duty as corrective lenses. Individuals on government assistance will have all their inbound and outbound enhanced visual communications (EVC) monitored. Implants to correct hearing losses will be offered as part of the service as enhanced audio communications (EAC).

Groundbreaking enhanced kinesthetic experiences (EKE) will allow us to re-experience pleasant sense memories. To avoid any risk of re-experiencing painful memories and associated feelings, a brain cleanse protocol is recommended. Much like a colon cleanse, users will be prescribed a drug that will virtually remove toxic feelings from past experiences, but not totally wipe out the pleasant aspects of the memory.

Travel

I currently work in the automotive industry and autonomous driving vehicles and ride and vehicle- sharing services are on the rise. Millennials do most of their car buying online and tend to avoid the showroom visit, preferring to negotiate via the internet and by using mobile devices. Some are more apt to use car-sharing services rather than purchase a vehicle, or delay the purchase for as long as they are able. Future trends are already changing as the next generation, Generation Z (born 1995 or later), is returning to the showroom and has displayed a renewed interest in purchasing personal vehicles, but rather than the vehicle choices of the Millennials, luxury brands, including BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, Generation Z prefer popular, classic brands like Hondas, Chevys, and Fords.

The most dramatic change will be in airline and rail travel. Smaller, faster, yet roomier, charter rail or flight-sharing services will increase. Uber and Lyft will consolidate and be co-owned by Google, which will create UberLyft. UberLyft will offer a series of services which include autonomous ride-sharing terra vehicles (ARTV), autonomous-engineered rail vehicles (ARV) and autonomous-piloted air vehicles (AAV).  Personal identity information, including I.D.s, passports, Social Security, and VBA (virtual banking accounts), plus healthcare and security identification bar codes will be tattooed for scanning. RFID will be implanted for enhanced redundant security.

The Simple Movement

As a reaction to this technology-driven invasive society, small agrarian, rural communities will form — comprised of politically-progressive people who believe in privacy, individual-choice, freedom from organized religion, freedom from technology, equality, and will ban hierarchical decision-making, yet rely on a commitment to collaborative, sustainable, green-living.  These groups will look different then their earlier American Utopian counterparts like the Shakers, Amish, Mennonites, Quakers, Oneida, Amana Colonies and Brook Farm. At the core of their beliefs will be the nurturing of each individual delivered by the mutual support of the community, so each member can attain their higher essence and give back to the community at their enhanced level of contribution.

What do you think your future will look like? Are you brave enough for your new world?

To learn more about our digital world and technology see Werner Herzog’s new film, Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World. Click here to view a trailer.

Related Reading from Mixed Metaphors, Oh My!

My Love/Hate Relationship with Technology

Three Things I Don’t Need (or Want)

The Perfect Timing of Dismaland

Pick a Metaphor: Life-Planning

The Third Act of Life

Third Act

On the Move Again!

Related Viewing on the Subject 

 

 

 

 

PBS Frontline In the Age of AI