Science fiction writers often write of a future where humans have destroyed the earth's ecology, rendering it unfit for us. We then trek out into space to try and find suitable planets to live on. Over the years, we've come to realize that nearly no planet will ever duplicate the conditions on earth. However, another sci-fi concept: terraforming, has entered the literary lexicon.
The idea being that you take a planet like Mars, but then you add oxygen and an atmosphere, etc. Scientists will tell you that this may be feasible in a universe where there are limitless amounts of energy and resources, but it is essentially impossible in practice.
Then, most scientists will say: if we had the capability to terraform an environment as hostile as Mars, we could terraform a "ruined" Earth much, much more easily.
So, the answer, once you gain terraforming technology, is to terraform the planet you are on. It's way cheaper, easier and faster than terraforming a distant, hostile planet. If having to chose between limiting greenhouse gasses on earth, or turning Mars' atmosphere into one we could live in, there is one clear winner of an idea, and one clearly idiotic idea in the mix. If we can't even save our own planet with modest changes, the likelihood of changing an alien world are essentially zero.
So, I'm going to say that at my age, I've come to realize that the secret to happiness or even survival is to terraform the life you have. Thinking about terraforming some distant life is essentially impossible.
Others have stated it as, "the grass may be greener over there, but it's a lot easier to just water the grass where you are."
My son is starting High School next year. 4 more years, and, if I have anything to say about it, he'll be off to college, on his own. I think going away to school is a great experience for young people. I don't judge folks who don't do it. Not everybody has the same means. And not every kid is the same. But generally speaking, if a kid can do it, I think going away to school is a great thing to do. I also think you have to do it shortly after high school. It's not something you can chose to do in your mid 20s or later. For a kid to gain the maximum formative effects of it, it should be done when they are relatively young.
I am at a paradox in my life. I can't say that my current situation is particularly comfortable. So, part of me is looking forward to a day in the medium-term future, where things are a lot easier financially, and I'm not so worn out all the time trying to balance my work life in Dayton and my home life 2.5 hours away in Toledo.
Dammit, though, these are the last four years of my son as a child. I don't want to let this time pass to quickly. I want to drink it in as much as possible. I have 4 more years of my son as a young man, then he will be off to make his own way in the world.
Someday, I hope he has a family of his own and I will be able to spend time with grandkids. That would be a great way to spend the last years of my life.
My future is pretty clear, and probably going to be really, really good. I am so incredibly blessed to have a great job that pays fairly. (And when I consider that they hired a guy in his late 40s into a program intended for kids in their 20s, I want to kiss the ground in gratitude. Nobody else does that. Nobody.) I will have a pension, some substantial savings, and social security. My life after retirement will probably be easier, financially, than all but a handful of my working years were.
Year by year, things will continue to get easier, too. Once bambino is off to college, I won't have to live 2.5 hours away from where I work anymore.
So, in 4 years, my life will change immensely. I'll finally have the time for both fitness and music that I sorely wish I had today.
4 years after that, he'll be done with school. (Or at least done with Dad paying for it.) From there on out, my finances will be pretty comfortable until retirement.
So, I have a lot to look forward to. I can't say I'm happy about a lot of the ways my life has turned out. I took a pretty bad beating in 2012. In a recent training session, a lecturer asked, "In the past 3 years, how many people here have suffered the loss of a job? Financial setbacks? Death of a loved one? Having to move? Having to start a job with a new company? Divorce?"
I raised my hand.
Not because I've had one of those things happen to me.
Because I have had EVERY ONE of those things happen to me in the past 3 years. Like kharma was sitting back saying, "You know, you've had a good run, Streb, but there's some long overdue dues you're going to pay and you're going to pay them all at once. Right now."
So, I can't say that I like my life the way it is at the moment.
On the other hand, I can't move to Mars and terraform the place. I have one life. Each passing year is a gift I will never get to have again.
I have the best kid I could have ever imagined. I have a job I love. It would be nice if they were in the same place, but they aren't.
There are those who have had it much worse. Not just in the past 3 years, but in life. Many folks would look at my life and say, "Wow... you think THAT is bad? That's nothing man. Let me tell you a story." And they would be right. They would be 100% right.
So, I'm working on terraforming the life I have. Trying to make it as good as I can make it.
Another thing, though, is that I'm already feeling a sense of loss for what life will be once bambino moves out. Yes, I will be able to fill my life with fitness and music. Those, other than my son, are probably the two most important activities to me, personally.
Still, I'll feel a little lost, I know. I love sports and having a kid who plays every sport under the sun has been a great experience. I get to not only watch a lot of sports, but I have an athlete that I genuinely love.
Anyway, I'm an overthinker. Always have been. Always will be. I guess I should just be thankful for today. Logan is hurt at the moment, but his team plays so many games, it's not the worst thing that he gets a little mid-season break. (Especially with school still in session.)
I'm finally getting to put some of my musical gear to use with Logan's band getting ready to play their middle school talent show. I'm excited to see that. He's been working hard at playing bass. He's still doing just fine in school. Mostly, he's just a good human being.
I have been truly blessed. I need to focus more on that, and less on the idea that these years have not turned out at all like I would have planned.
Then, I need to get busy with continually terraforming my world.
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