Most people think of oxymorons as being something like jumbo shrimp, military intelligence, or all alone. And it's true, a lot of people say that they are anticipating the future, and are prepared for what's going to come. It's a nice thing to say, and maybe boosts your self confidence, but I don't think they know what they're talking about.
You can't anticipate the future, because it's the future. It hasn't happened yet.
I am completely fascinated with time. I think of it as the biggest wonder in human existence, the big mystery behind everything. What really happens between events, and what passes? Is the subject so broad that it can't even be given a name? Can it be stopped? Nobody knows this, but nobody knows what the future is, either. Even if you went back in time and went to somebody a hundred years ago and tried to tell them what the future is, you would be wrong. Your being there is now a fixed point, and everything that happens after that is a new slate, yet to be written on. You might be able to tell them what would have happened if you hadn't been there, but it wouldn't be the future anymore. Not the immediate future, anyway.
Social media loves time. They illustrate it as a swirly tube of color, a bang and a flash of light, and the pages of a book. They use it as the excuse for the aging of celebrities, fashions going out of trend, and natural disasters. It's not time's fault, though. It's not living. It's just the force that moves along with the world, and keeps us going no matter what. No matter what they do with it, though, nobody can prove them right or wrong, because nobody's ever seen it. We're just living with it every day, and are impacted by it more than any other force.
So what do I think about time? I don't think it's like a timeline, that's for sure. Things aren't all fixed points and events, they aren't solid and unable to be penetrated. If time travel is possible, though, my explanation is simple. Everything is always happening, kind spinning in place for eternity. Every second happens over and over again, like little snapshots, one right after the other, keeping a record of everything that's happening to everyone every second of the day. In science fiction, there's always an outside force that comes in and influences one of those bits of time. Since they're all connected, though, there's a chain reaction, and the whole future is changed, even in a miniscule way. Some people might even call that a paradox.
So when people say that they are anticipating the future, great for them. You can be prepared for what you think might happen; have an earthquake kit, know safety protocol, have three copies of your homework done just in case. But the truth is, anything could happen at any second, and you really have no idea.
The future is like tomorrow. It's always there, but we never reach it.
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