So I’ve spent some time thinking what I should write about as my very first entry into this. Do I make it mundane and about the weather? Perhaps a little more ego centric and discuss computer games? Maybe completely random and just say ‘hi’? Then somewhere in the random firing of neurons and the constant media bombardment I actually came up with something vaguely topical, it may get a little convoluted by the train of thought is in here somewhere.
It was five minutes of a cosmosology program n the ABC that got things started. The new theory is that the universe will just keep on expanding forever. No eventual slow down and then great collapse, just greater and greater distance between the few solid objects out there. Of course they were talking in terms of billions of years but the comment made was that eventually there would be so much distance between bodies that there would be no stars to light the way, no heat and little chance of life in any form we could comprehend.
Possibly not the most heart warming thought, especially if you have a tendency to over think things. With this somewhat darker and potentially depressing thought in mind I changed channels on the television, after all, the glowing one eyed creature is supposed to entertain me and make me feel better, right? Well it seems the world was conspiring against me that day. News reports on two channels, one in regards September 11th memorials, the other of the US president talking about going to war with Iraq.
Suddenly a time frame of billions of years did not seem to hold very much significance. The threat of war, the memory of death and an uncertain future, I had had better days. Given one of my primary sources of entertainment was intent on being less jovial I resorted to another and picked up book to read. The title is unimportant, as is its plot, it was science fiction with all the usual trappings of the genre. At this point my thoughts began to wander again.
As a child I would become lost in these fantasy stories, and to a certain extent I still do. Fantasy and science fiction was always fun for me. I read it, I wrote it, I would talk about it with friends. Whether books, comics or movies it was a topic I could become readily enthused about, and still do. Upon reading this time I found myself wondering why I enjoyed it so much, and the answer came quite easily. I expected to see the things that were considered fiction. I am certain as a child I considered it inevitable that one day there would be laser guns and spaceships, transporters and flying cars. Not only that they would exist but that they would exist in my lifetime.
And as this thought occurred to me I realised some small part of me lives in hope that they still will.
So where does all this lead? Instead of answering, even if I could, I would prefer to leave it with a question. How many other people have ever felt even the slightest bit in the same way? Do you read or what programs that lead you to hope for something better? A better world, a better way of life, something to aspire to whether it be a realistic dream or not? Perhaps if we all keep those dreams a little closer then there would be something to ward us against the ugliness of the world. Hope.

My niece is fourteen months old. If I am never to see spaceships and flying cars then I hope she will.