The Native Iowan

Been ruminating lately on the changes that are afoot, and what the future, the next decade or so, may hold. The past decade has moved past us quickly. The past 20 years have been a phlash. Who recalls where they were January 1 2000? Who recalls what they were thinking about January 2021? 

Of course, life is what happens while we make other plans…

Over the last 20 years a lot has changed. But, this past 12 months has been huge. Am I wrong to say that the past 12months has promoted more change to our global society, more than the previous decade, or two? 

Let’s ponder the HUGE changes we have witnessed in the calendar year of 2020:

Travel of any kind has been irrevocably changed. 

No matter it be by road, by air, by sea… HUGE changes. No matter it be interstate, intertown, intercommunity, the idea of Domestic travel never to be the same. Hourly flights to major towns and cities might now be daily, if you are lucky. Trains, buses, taxis… all has changed, irrevocably. 

Totally forget international! travel, as we knew it… multiple flights a day between international destinations, packed immigration departure and arrival halls are empty, parking towers remain hollow, the associated service sector is bankrupt.

As a professional expatriate with three professed homes, in three separate countries… I feel a bit lost.  With big families in the Solomons and the US, I ponder a future of no-travel, remaining only and completely in The Land of Aus.

Good news and bad news… 

Aus is a great place “to be”. 

We are more than comfortable here, well entertained and exceedingly hapi.  I am an old fart and not all that fussed about staying in one place. Not galivanting around the planet is kinda ok. I like watching grass grow, Aus is a big place with a lot to see by road. And I own a bitch’n yacht. Aus is the perfect land for a bitch’n yacht. 

Bad news is sad news… The yacht is in the Solomons. Could be months and months before a window for moving it opens. 

Its hard to think-around the fact that travel to the Solomons, to visit, see family, interact with the first and foremost place my tribe call “HOME”… well, that’s kind hard. Quite hard. 

Same with the US… it’s a difficult pill to swallow, not traveling at all is hard but being isolated from family and familiarity, a hard pill to swallow.

But I am an old fart and I’m ok taking pills. 

Where would you rather be?

The grass is always greener!

I am an avid student of Science Fiction. There is little sci-fi I have not read, or been exposed to. 

Much sci-fi is based on a world in flux, a society in collapse, posing great “what-ifs”. 

Apocalyptic scenarios are popular in sci-fi.  Heroes and Villains abound, classical themes and romances, good vs evil, Homer and Shakespeare dressed as Robert Heinlein? 

Sci-Fi is real?

We’re living it today?

And I remain, find myself once again… A Stranger In A Strange Land…

And that’s OK with me. 

Smiles