Ever notice how kids are always thinking and talking about the future?  That’s because their heads are pointed that way (toward the future, that is).  Makes sense, since most of their life is ahead of them.  Having their heads all pointed toward the future shapes their view of life — and the way they put 2 and 2 together.

Here’s just one example:
It’s 1985 and my oldest is 3.  Being exceedingly proud of herself for having just learned our phone number, she wants show off by calling Mom from a play-date.  Great idea.  She asks to use the neighbor’s phone and calls home, excited to dial the number herself and thrilled when Mom answers.  A few days later, we’re at home and she has a question for Mom.  “Well she’s out doing errands now, so we’ll have to wait until she gets home,” I explain.  “Why don’t I just call her?” she replies as she picks up the phone and dials our number, which gives her a busy signal. “What’s wrong with the phone?  Why doesn’t Mom answer?”

At three years old, she’s predicting the future we’ve grown accustomed to today, where kids can call their moms any time they want regardless of where Mom is.  Whether or not this is a good thing is highly debatable, but that’s for another post.

While kids are unwittingly predicting the future, many of their grandparents’ heads seem to be pointed toward the past. “When I was your age …”

It happens to all of us as we age.  Once we get to the point where the bulk of our life feels like it’s in the past, we’re tempted to look back more often than we look forward — and that shapes our view of life.

Here are three examples of Gloucester people with heads pointed toward the future.  The Wilkins Noise takes over hosting Open Jamm at the Rhumb Line tonight and J.B. Amero takes Dan King’s seat tomorrow, joining Dave Brown, Dave Mattacks & Wolf Ginandes at Jalapenos.  Live music in Gloucester continues (see schedule here) even though we will all miss our friend Dan King, who flies out to make his mark on L.A. tomorrow, head squarely pointed toward his future.  Bon Voyage, Dan.  Come back soon!

Here’s a video of one of Dan’s songs we’ve all come to know and love

Now just because we have a peek at the past, doesn’t mean we have to keep our heads pointed in that direction . . .