The future isn't what it used to be.
For one thing, it gets shorter every day. I don't say this to be depressing or to make light of our so-called Golden Years, but only to point out the precious importance of each day. We all stay busy, and that's a good thing. Idle, wasted time can never be re-captured.
Our future is different now, too, in that our alternatives decrease constantly. Physically we are less capable than we once were. You may not believe this, but I was once faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and more powerful than a locomotive. I had this special no-iron cape that lasted from about age 25 to 45. That was one helluva fine two decades, I can tell you.
My future no longer includes the prospect of running a marathon, hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail, or having a torrid affair with a movie actress. There was a time -- called the past -- when I could have done these things. Well, maybe two out of the three. But the future still has exciting moments in store for me: the end of each winter, the Utah night sky, my third retirement.
The future may not be what it used to be, but it's plenty for me. My satisfaction rests upon a foundation of having had a productive past. Our personal history is our memory and we can rummage around in it at will. I may not have run a marathon, but I have run 10Ks. I never hiked from Georgia to Maine, but I did spend four days and nights on the Appalachian Trail one summer. I never had an affair with an actress, but I did wed a wonderful woman.