Future Shock

I was asked recently if I get ideas for stories from my dreams. I told him that they don’t quite come from my dreams. I get ideas just as I’m falling asleep, and in the time while I’m waking, but in no hurry to get out of bed. That’s what happened this morning.

I realized the underlining themes of “Time to Rock,” and “Dragon Children.” Actually, I knew the theme for “Dragon Children,” but I didn’t realize how similar it was to “Time to Rock.”

The theme of “Dragon Children” is fear of the unknown. We all suffer from this; it is part of being human. We like being in familiar surroundings surrounded by people we know. When faced with different ideas, or people that live differently, we become fearful and feel threatened. This is a source of drama and suspense throughout that story.

The theme of “Time to Rock” is future shock. This term is used several times by Freddie and Emily in the novel. In the 1970s I read the book “Future Shock” by Alvin Toffler. In the book he described how people were becoming disoriented by the speed at which society was changing around them. I extrapolated that notion to create Freddie and Emily’s reaction to being suddenly thrusted into a time they couldn’t understand.

This morning I realized what Freddie and Emily were experiencing is the same that we all experience, if we return to a place we hadn’t seen in many years. It comes down to the old adage, “You can never go home again.”

I left my hometown in 1971. I made visits back there for a while, but the trips became less frequent over time. Each time I went back, the less I recognized it as my hometown. I’m sure many of you know what I am saying. The corner store was gone. The city swimming pool was filled in. Even the streets were laid out differently. It just wasn’t my hometown anymore.

It isn't just physical things that change over time. Morality changes also. Think about it. "Time to Rock" begins in 1973. In 1973 the notion of people living together without being married was considered wrong, being gay was something to be well hidden, and a woman's place was still in the home.

I see a lot of memes on social media claiming that life as we know it is being destroyed. Some blame the left, and some blame the right. These memes are either written by or aimed at retired people like me. If you stop to think about it, it’s not that hard to figure out that it isn’t an evil plot, it is evolution.

When people retire, or for some other reason, step out of the rat-race that we call society, it’s like stepping off a train. We stand still and the train goes on it’s way. Society is constantly evolving whether we like it or not. I remember when I was a kid, senior citizens voicing the same lament about the world.

This is nothing new my friends. You are experiencing future shock. We are seeing a future that we are not really part of, and it upsets us. We have two choices. We can try to keep up with it, or we can relax and let the younger people handle it.

Of course, this leads me to another issue. I’m 72, I don’t think people of my age should be making policy for a future that they won’t be part of, but that’s fodder for another article.