The New
Year has started and there is a lot that we have to look forward to in the
coming months and a lot that we have to be thankful for from the past year. In
the past I have taken this opportunity to make a list of resolutions and to
look back on the previous year. Well, those posts will be coming soon but I
found myself thinking about something else today… Back to the Future… part 2.
A
couple of days ago I found my wife watching the first movie in the trilogy as I
ventured up the stairs and got ready for bed. It has always been one of those
movies that she would fall asleep to and I really don’t mind because I remember
watching them growing up as well. Last night we had to change things up as she
had watched part one for a couple of nights in a row. So I put in part two,
tucked her in, and came down stairs to get some work done not thinking too much
about what was flickering on the screen.
As
the clock struck midnight and the calendar turned another page, I could hear
the faint sounds of the fictional 2015 echoing down the stairs as the reality
of that year was around me. It is amazing to think about something that seemed
so far off when we were growing up to now be a reality. While always a little
far afield in their predictions, it is even more entertaining to see the
drastic difference between reality and the trajectory that Hollywood portrayed
over two decades ago.
So
where is my freaking flying car?!?!
I am
fascinated watching the prediction of the flying car, hover boards, Café 80’s
(I am sure there are a few that are around), rehydrating dinner (makes me think
of Ramen noodles), 3-D advertisements on the street, the national weather
service, and faxing still a prevalent form of communication. All of these
things are in addition to the craziness of the ‘fashion’ which you could tell
came out of the time when the movie was made. It would be interesting if these
things were really part of our daily life but that is not the case.
However,
what might be more interesting is what is not represented. The internet and
email are a huge part of daily life but are nowhere to be found on the screen. Smart phones are more ubiquitous than the walkie-talkies that Marty and Doc employ
but don’t make an appearance. Flat screen televisions have replaced the large
boxes that once played our movies but the café still contained the former
format. And did you see the size of those discs where they hid Jennifer?
So
while we may not have flying cars and weather that we can control to suit our
needs (or time travel), there are still a lot of things that we have today that
even Hollywood couldn’t predict. It certainly isn’t all perfect but things
could be a lot worse as 2015 gets under way. Of course, we will have to see if
the Cubs to really beat Miami in the World Series this year… now that would be
one heck of a prediction.
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