Flickering pictures hypnotize
We spend our lives watching others’ lives
Too much watching to realize
That this is a smokescreen
And this is why people die

More Whitewashing
from Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records
Chumbawamba

 
We all wonder about the future. Our future, the future of our loved ones, the future of the world. What will I achieve? What will my children achieve? Not very much as it so happens as I don’t have any, or are not likely to in the near future. I don’t even have a partner so the chances of procreating are somewhat remote. Anyway, I digress… Will I die young? Will I be famous? Will I be left to rot in some god-forsaken care home? Will I even be remembered?
The future? Let me tell you; it’s all bollocks. It doesn’t matter what you imagine, it doesn’t matter how you plan your future, life never turns out that way. Some believe in karma, the cause and effect. Others believe in fate, that everything is pre-ordained. Many believe in a divine being, as a spiritual diversion from the hard and cold reality of life. Me? I don’t really know what I believe. Things just happen… No, that’s not right; shit just happens. It happens all the time. The trouble is, you never know when it is coming your way. It doesn’t matter if your life is great or bloody awful; at some point someone or something is going to come along and fuck it up.
In my case life was pretty bloody awful and, frankly, if I’d known what was coming I’d have been happy for it to stay that way. A piece of advice; keep away from scratchcards. They will really fuck you up.