On a Saturday afternoon, I sometimes can be found “lazing” on the couch enjoying a vintage Sci-Fi classic flick.
As a kid I loved these films, where the vision of our future had us all with only 16% body fat, dining on amazing food served at the touch of a button, with clothes that were tight, tight, tight and sparkling white. Back in the 50s and 60s, we couldn't wait the turn the corner at the dawn of the 21st century.
Well, we've rounded this intersection in history, and the neighborhood looks pretty much the same as the 20th century. But that disappointment shouldn't stop us from dreaming up new ways of looking at our future.
In my version of Tomorrowland, the future remains shiny and bright (and almost new) through the power of the handheld computer, not the hands of a fantasy filmmaker. We will use the community building technology that has emerged over the past decade to begin to set things right in our city.
Just this week, there was a Twitter conversation posted early one morning that was immediately snapped up by an impromptu committee in metro Grand Rapids that resulted in a tweet up by the day's end. So we already live in a time where our minds are starting to process more information faster, much like the computers that have inspired us so.
With these new connections made possible through smart phones, my other vision of Tomorrowland has us focusing more on society as a whole rather than our individual needs. Since it's easier to get the word out to scads of people in a flash, it's simply easier to organize -- and think -- in terms of larger gatherings. Our inner circle has just gotten a whole lot bigger. And that means we are gearing more to think in terms of including, rather than excluding, people.
So the future is still out there, it is the active present where we as a community are going to make the real change.
If that all comes true, it will just be a bonus for me if everyone's body fat cells melt miraculously away and I can finally fit into that white jumpsuit I purchased years ago at a ComicCon convention that's hiding in the back of my closet.
Choose local…and often.
Tommy Allen, Lifestyle Editor
Email:
[email protected]Twitter Guide:
@TommyGSyncPhoto of Tommy Allen provided by TanglefootStudio.comPress Releases for upcoming events in the West Michigan area should be sent to
[email protected]. Please include high res jpg images that are at least 500 pixels wide.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.