This post is in response to the Blog of the Week (#bow) prompt in the Silver Blogger’s group (@hive-106316). If you haven’t joined the group yet, I encourage you to do so. The Silver Blogger's Community is chock full of great content, contests, and camaraderie.
This weeks’ theme is:
New Year’s Eve 1992.
I was twenty-one years old and it was the first New Year’s Eve I could legally drink alcohol!
Grunge music was saturating the Columbus, Ohio music scene and the Brewery District, which was situated just west of German Village and both neighborhoods were at their absolute peak of hipness and popularity. My fiance at the time and I bought tickets to a New Year’s Eve celebration at one of the dance clubs in the Brewery District that included appetizers, party favors, and a champagne toast at midnight.
It was a night that should have been fun for me but the vibe was off the entire evening. I felt restless and generally unhappy. We were both still living with our parents. It was becoming clear that she envisioned a very different kind of life than I did. She wanted to settle down and have children immediately, I didn't. I was enrolled in college but had no clear plans for my future and was writing poetry and freelance pieces while working a dead-end warehouse job. I remember when the ball dropped at midnight and we kissed. I realized how fearful I was for our future and in that moment I silently wished for a major change in my life.
Strangely, that wish is what I remember most about the night. I made it with such resolve and when I did I got goosebumps. The wish very much came true. I had no idea at that time that my fiance and I would break up just a few months later and just three years later I’d be leaving everything I ever knew for a new life in Minnesota.
Fast Forward to 2022
Now I’m fifty and happy (much happier than old Willy Shakespeare above). I feel the contentment and gratitude of a man whose dreams have come true, just not in the ways in which I imagined. Pretty much the only thing in common between 1992 and 2022 will be the bubbly.
The only restlessness I feel now is that of wanderlust. I absolutely can’t wait to travel again. My wife and I fully realize that we’ll probably just have the enthusiasm for international travel for another decade or so and we fully intend to make the most of it.
I don’t feel the need to be out and about for New Year’s Eve much anymore, especially not during the waning days of a pandemic. We’ll probably stay in and have our son over for movies, wine, and snacks as has become tradition in the last few years.
Life looks very different from this perspective. I look back and see that many of the things that used to excite and motivate me no longer do. I also realize that many of the worries that nagged at my twenty-one year old self were nothing to worry about at all but only catalysts to prod me to take action to make a better life.
I never could have guessed the adventures, joys, and struggles I had between 1992 and 2022 but in retrospect that was half the fun.
New Year’s Eve 2042?
As I write this I can’t help but wonder what New Year’s Eve will be like in 2042. I’ll be seventy, my wife will be seventy-four. We’ll have stepped foot on every continent on Earth and even ventured to the edge of the atmosphere to see the planet from space.
We’ve collected a lot more memories, and done some lasting good in this world through the creation of our charitable foundation. Smartphones will be a thing of the past. We’ll all be wearing AR glasses or probably more like AR lens implants.
Air taxis and hyperloops have overtaken airline travel for all but international flights. Hypersonic planes will fly us from NYC to Asia in about an hour. Nuclear fusion and renewable energy will provide safe, cheap, and abundant power. Formerly third-world countries will be major economic powerhouses as they were able to leap frog many of the established nations in terms of economic and technological evolution. The combined GDP of Africa is now greater than China.
Bitcoin will be the world’s global reserve currency and will have established a reliable floor at over a million USD per coin. No one measures Bitcoin's value in USD anymore though or even by an entire Bitcoin. Because of its high value In 2041 bitcoin will just be measured in Sats and MilliSats. Many alt coin projects have come and gone but blockchain technology has transformed many aspects of our lives from logistics, to how we govern, to how our economy works.
There will be a live feed from human colonies on Mars and the Moon showing the ball dropping there as well as in Times Square, Beijing, and other major cities around the globe. A trip to the Moon, especially, will be a tourist destination that most people will be able to afford at least once in their lives.
The Mars colony will still be too small to support tourism just yet but that will come in the decades following. By New Year’s Eve 2041 we’ll have entered a new age of peace and prosperity and us seniors will be sharing our wisdom along with stories about the violence, division, and many struggles of our current time.
This was such a fun bit of time travel. Many thanks to the contest's sponsors for creating it!
All for now.
With Gratitude,
Eric Vance Walton
(Gifs sourced from Giphy.com)
Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.
Pick up a copy of Ephemera today on Amazon.
Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel.
These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, Mindful Moments, will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com.
Let’s Keep In Touch
What @ericvanwalton! Only 70? Wait to break before you quit! Get every last drop of fun out. But, please, whatever do, don't use it all up. M'kay?
I am not sure I will ever stop traveling internationally. I even thought I would be an expat when I don't work, but, my kids would disown me. :) They have kind of gotten addicted to me.
Le sigh.
A writer, of course. I could spot it a mile away!
Strange when you feel things need to change, then do shortly after. Power of silent thought in 1992 seeing your life not going in the direction you desired, good move!
2042 I doubt I will be here, more likely kick-starting my broom in the form of star dust, nice positive thought for possible change, doubt Africa will be more powerful in a short twenty years, here is to hoping!
Thank you Joan! It'll definitely be interesting to see what the future brings!
I just figured out that if you hit all posts then it shows only the author's posts, haha, that is very helpful!
I do a lot of the same type of futuristic musing. Funny, because I did it as a kid in the 80's and much of what I dreamed up is now here!
Yes! That's a nice feature isn't it? It's fun to daydream about the future. I've done a lot of that in my writing life. This new novel has been a little freaky to work on because it's been like peering through a looking glass into the future. It deals with aliens, time travel, AI, and human evolution. Merry Christmas to you and the family!
Oh I can't wait to read it, I'll keep an eye out!
I wish so much love to you and yours this Christmas season!
Much love to you and yours as well! I'm not sure how long this one is going to take. I'm letting it unfold naturally instead of forcing it but I will be sure to make the announcement when the time comes. Hopefully sometime before the end of 2022!
Another decade or so only? Really?
I was 22 when you were born and I am still traveling internationally and intend to still do it for several years.
But in 2042, I will be 93 and I don't think I will be a moon tourist.
[Was your wish to become a full-time writer?]
Another 10-15 years for some of the more adventurous travel destinations. I can't see us ever really stopping until it gets to the point the where mobility is more of a challenge. That's great that you're still at it, I wish you many more years of exploring the globe. What's been your favorite destination so far?
Yes, being a full-time writer was my wish! That happened but not at all in the way I thought it would. Back in 1992 traditional publishing was the only viable path to becoming a well-known author. Shortly after that New Year's wish I made a trip to New York City to look for a place to live. My intention was to find work there in the city at a magazine, publisher, or newspaper then pay my dues as a writer. My thought was being close to the major publishing houses would better my odds. After seeing how much it cost to live in the city I thought it was impossible. I kept writing and started getting some pieces published in Columbus but every time I tried to enter the world of traditional publishing I got the door slammed in my face. I moved to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1995 and self-published my first book in the late 1990's. I did it all myself, from the book cover design to the binding and did pretty well with it. I just kept doing this and thankfully Amazon launched their self-publishing platform. This gave self-published authors a global reach. It hasn't been an easy road, let me tell you. Steemit/Hive was a true gift for me. It set me on a path that got me to places I never would have imagined. It's always good to hear from you! I hope you and your family have a great Holiday!
Wow. I wish I can be an international tourist just like you do. Yes. I'm planning on it seriously but my plans hasn't work out so well. But I believe in great future.. @vcelier I followed you
Hello dear friend @ericvancewalton good afternoon
What a life experience and what a vision for 2042. Many things that you predict of the future will be as is, air taxis and the value of bitcoin and its measurement in sathossi
It is good that you are in your apartment to resume international travel
A real pleasure to read you dear friend
Enjoy the weekend
Hello my friend! I appreciate your comment and hope you're having a wonderful weekend!
What a wonderful trip, that future is fabulous I hope I can enjoy it and if we all read your publication and send the same energy I am sure it will be so. Thank you for giving such an enriching read.
I wanted to read an example to participate, but with yours I don't know if I dare. Hahaha.
Thank you! I really hope you do participate in the contest! I'm not eligible for any of the prizes since I'm going to be a judge. I just wrote this for fun.
As a juror, oh my god, the more nervous I get hahaha.
Very interesting extrapolation! I am mostly struck with your realization during the 1992 kiss. How many of us have those realizations, and do not act on them, end up with the wrong person? This is a thought provoking post. hm...
Oh @owasco this was one of those moments that hit me like a lightening bolt. It was such a powerful feeling I couldn't ignore it. I think we all have a purpose here in this life and way stray too far from it something like this happens.
Very nice! I would have been a sophomore in high school in 1992, so I was likely at a church lock-in or something like that on new years. That is what we tended to do. I am sure I was having fun though. These days we do just about what you do. Sit around and maybe not even stay up to watch the ball drop sometimes. We used to have parties, but our friends got busy with kids and stuff, so that doesn't happen as much anymore. Much more exciting to think about the future than dwell on the past!
Thanks! Friends and I did the lock-ins a few times in high school too. It's rare that we stay up too long past midnight. I think the last time we were actually out was in 2018 and that was just at a local pub a block away. I agree, the future is so exciting. We're lucky to live in this time as we are really transitioning into a much better era.
If I had to guess 2018 was probably the last time we were out late too. We had a friend that was getting married, so we were at her wedding reception!
Now, you're making me wonder what my preoccupations were at 21: finishing my graduate teachers diploma and finding a job. In Johannesburg where the man of the moment was working...
As for 2042, I shall be 78/9 depending on when you ask, and if...
Haha, isn't it funny looking back at it now? Our crushes and attractions led us in so many different directions. You'll still be able to travel at that age I bet. Who knows, you may even be going on one of those trips to the moon!
Probably, and on terra firma. Not sure about space travel...lol
Nice one Eric! I didn't realise we were just one year apart, you're a '71 baby and I'm '72 :)
This really got me thinking, I was 20 but cannot remember what the hell I was doing, to be honest I don't remember much of the 90s 😂.
Anyway, good seeing you again.
Cg
My friend! It's so good to see you back here and writing again. I just refollowed you, Hive sometimes disconnects (unfollows) some accounts from time to time. I've had that issue since the early days of Steemit.
Yes, 1971 for me! I had you pegged as being at least five years younger than that. Honestly, I did more partying in the 80's in high school than I did in the 1990s. 1986-1988 was like one continuous Beastie Boys video for me. Bad. I remember the 90's very clearly though..some of it I wished I didn't. ; )
I hope you and the family are all well and we hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.
Ah, the Beasties and Run DMC still hold a very special place in my heart!
Give my regards to your wife and have a happy Christmas :)
Cg
Me too. When I listen to them now, except for a few songs, they don't sound as good to me though. I do like some of the Beasties' "newer" albums.
Thank you my friend. Happy Christmas from our family to yours. We just might find ourselves in London in '22. If so, we'll drop you a line.
Fascinating. I started off thinking that you were much younger than me and then I had to use my fingers to count and realized that you are actually a year older. Ahh, the 90's... I almost remember them.
Isn't it interesting how very important going out for New Year's once was, and now? It just isn't. I liked your futuristic extrapolation. We shall see!
Before smartphones and Netflix it was so much fun to go out! The live music scene was incredible in the 1990s. The only thing I don't miss is coming home permeated in cigarette smoke. That part was awful.
So many possibilities when it comes to experiences thats likely by 2042. That's probably a very long time from now, who knows crypto might have it's own seperate economy and I don't even want to begin with where the prices will actually be. Hahaha. Anyways I just want to see each new year, one year at a time. But that was definitely a soothing way to imagine these things. How has it been going so far?
It's wise to not focus too much on the future, it makes the present speed by too quickly. All is good on my end. I'm scheduled to get my booster shot this Sunday and making some big plans for 2022. I hope all is good in your part of the world.
Is this like the covid vaccine, or?
Yep. I get my third Pfizer dose on Sunday.
Oh wow, thats great, I guess it's really necessary to take these precautions considering that december might Just be a congested month. Goodluck with it sir, its probably going to be eventual for you this december, it might not for me hahah cannot wait to share your excitement.
Life is short as you see, friend. It is a beautiful idea to have an international travel for another decade. It is also priceless to do that with your goodwife.
I have such a plan as well if the coronavirus ever comes to an end.
It, without a doubt, is. You really begin to see how short life is when you get to the fifth floor (50)! I think we'll see herd immunity next year. Between those who've been vaccinated and those who've gotten the virus, hopefully, it will be under control.
You remind me of the song,
7 years - Lukas Graham.
Cheers to fifty year, cheers to a life of 70,80,90.
Many mind blowing inventions are still coming
Thanks! I'm not familiar with that song. I'll have to look it up. Thank you! Yes, this next five years is going to reveal a lot of new innovation. Everything is growing at an exponential pace now, it that will be even more the case once A.I. is widely used.
New Year's Eve at a young age with your ex-fiancé should give you the most beautiful and unforgettable memories. Unfortunately you were too afraid of your future Eric, so you could be able to enjoy the most enjoyable time. .but I am happy because you have found true love in your wife now and can always enjoy New Year's Eve together. God bless all of you. .Unfortunately in the area where I live, which strictly enforces Islamic rules, there is no New Year's celebration because it is prohibited by the local government. So I can only watch New Year's celebrations elsewhere on television.
Thank you Eliana! Do you feel like you're missing out on the celebrating? At my age I don't feel like I'm missing out by staying home. I may have at a younger age though.
How well you remember the past. I was with my parents in 1992, I was 17 years old. My boyfriend served in the army, and I promised to wait for him. His younger brother came to us on New Year's Eve, now I understand that he was guarding me :)
The past is the homeland of the human soul. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by a longing for the feelings that we once experienced.
I have a pretty vivid memory going back to two or three years old. It seems like an eternity ago. The world is so much different now!
Ha, wish I could take part, though I don't know if being some seven years form my actual birth date might've made New Year's in '92 a tad unremarkable! :D
Seriously though, this post made me smile. I'm glad you got your wish, your major change. Do you sometimes think what your life would look like if you hadn't, though? Just curious.
Jesus, now I feel really old @honeydue! You may've still been living your former life in 1992 (if you subscribe to the belief of past lives).
You know, I do sometimes think about how my life would look like if I stayed in that relationship. One thing is for sure, my life would be much smaller. We would have settled down in the small town in Ohio my ex-fiance grew up in. I would been responsible for a family in my 20's and would have had to put my own dreams on hold. I would now have had children and grandchildren, which would have been satisfying and rewarding in its own right. Looking back, I was super self-centered then.
Considering the sheer amount of work and number of years it took for me to get where I am today, I never would have achieved anywhere near this level of success had I not made that major change. That's allowed me to provide for others and hopefully make their lives better in different ways. I've been able to do things that my younger self would have never imagined.
I do have a stepson now (since 2005) and I've had a taste of what it's like to be a parent through him. I've enjoyed that tremendously. I wake up some mornings and still can't believe it all worked out. I was the first in my family to even graduate from high school. There were so many opportunities for everything to completely fall apart. I just got extremely lucky.
Hmm, hope it was a good New Year's, then. And sorry, that was not my intention :P
For some reason, this sentence speaks to me a lot. I've got this constant fear of a small life, perhaps of settling down in a life that is not meant for me. I really am glad it worked out for you so tremendously well, and I love how aware you are. I mean, the question was asked knowing you'd be the kind of person to reflect on things like that, but it's very refreshing, still. :)
I had that very same fear at your age about the small life. It never felt like the "right time" to have a family because of other goals/interests. Sometimes I think about that on this side of life and wonder if it was just me being selfish. I see plenty of people who have achieved great things and have had families too. I can't help but believe those feelings are there for a reason though, and for me that nagging feeling never went away. I think what ignites us and fills us with excitement draws us closer to our destiny and it's smart to follow that.
I agree. I've always seen this nagging as a protective fence of sorts, and I always feel safer within its confines than outside of them. I've no idea how things will play out, but right now, I think this fear is helpful, as it's steering me towards the things I want, or that I think I want, at least.
Ah when the forty years old self thinks about the twenty years old self.....it is always nice to think about your old thinking patterns. How everything has changed and how change is actually the norm in the Universe.
Me in 1992.....2 years old. Haha I only wish I could remember , but most of my memories start since I was 7, it is like my brain deleted the first 6 years of my life. But when I was 20....I was much more agitated in the sense that I always wanted to get everything done my way . Now at 31, soon to be 32 in february, I realize that I can only change myself. And it is the most blissful moment of my entire existence to live my life according to this principle.
I would love to live long enough to see people travel to space like they do with commercial airlines. Oh wouldn't that be fancy?
It's also interesting to reflect on the core of your being that remains the same as the years go by. I find I have less tolerance for BS and red flags are easier to spot. That part I like!
What an important lesson you learned in your 30's. When you take complete ownership of your life and realize you're the master of your own destiny there is literally nothing that can stop you.
I suspect commercial space travel will be commonplace in twenty or so years. Celebrities are already going up. Soon companies will finance it so us average people can experience it.
I find I have less tolerance for BS and red flags are easier to spot. That part I like!
Amen to that! This is one of the best things in growing older and a bit wiser. Red flags are a serious thing and we value our time so much more so giving a 6th second chance is a big No no. It saves us a lot of time and mental energy to bounce back from that kind of human interactions.
I would love to visit the space. It would be a glorious experience🤩
I really like this discussion, thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge, hopefully at the age of 50 you are always healthy, I wish you the best so that you are always in good health.Thank you for sharing your experience. Greetings from me.Thank you
Thank you very much!
What an awesome response to this week’s #bow topic, how times have changed!
You learned early on to take the leap and follow your dreams and look where you are now!
Your books continue to inspire me and many many other people.
2042...I'll be ancient but what a perfect world that would be/ could be!
Thank you for your awesome contribution Eric🤩
Thank you @lizelle! I've been scared sh!tless every single time I've taken a leap but each time I've done it my life has improved dramatically. I'm glad my books have helped to inspire you in some way. Writing them have brought a lot of joy to me. You're very welcome! Thanks for sponsoring the contest!
You're 35 years ahead of me, old enough to be my father.
So, I'll say good afternoon sir.
My first memorable new year celebration occurred in 2010 when my step grandma died on January 1st.
No one cried though, she's 100+.
The whole house celebration went on as usual.
You're only 15?! My condolences at the loss of your grandmother! She must've experienced a lot in her 100+ years.
Your 1992 self is more like what I am experiencing right now.
The thought of marriage is so scary and a lot of goals to achieve.
Your 2022 looks so beautiful but your 2942vlooks way more great but I doubt the air taxis will be a thing yet...
But who knows??
My advice to my 21 year old self would be to embrace your youth instead of worrying so much about the future. Volocopter is set to begin air taxi service in Dubai next year. It's crazy to think about.
Wow!!!!!
I was born in 1992. On 1992.09.17. I will be 30 years old in 2022. I wish Merry Christmas and happy new year to everyone.
HIVE!D
Absolutely GREAT Story! TY for the Share!
I'm excited to see 2029 for some reason... think I left something behind there.
Highest Regards for your work Bruv!
Thanks for the read and the comment! Hopefully that asteroid gets diverted and humanity will have a chance to get right all of its wrongs.
one can hope...