Prognosticator?

Daily writing prompt

Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?

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I would suggest that you avoid leaping to conclusions. Squinting into the tea leaves and ominously proclaiming that this was going to be a banner year is a dangerous activity.

I’m kind of ahead of the curve here, and not about to spoil the deal by building envy…yeah…there’s no Maserati in the garage, hell, there isn’t even a garage! But last night I sat on the chest by the woodstove looking into the fire. The dog was snoozing on the hearth, my sweetie was in the rocking chair, and the two cats were purring up a storm. It was a kind of mural of family contentment.

Sunday, the Tribe will gather to decorate the little tree, tell outrageous stories, watch Christmas oldies that they loved when they were little, and generally have a good time.

Expectations

I’ve had Christmases that were more spare. It was just me and my cat, the Grey Menace. It was a catnip mouse for him and a snifter of the cheapest brandy for me. We were in a little house by the railroad tracks, and thankful that the heat was working. It taught me not to get involved with building too elaborate expectations based on fantasy—no courtships based on cheap TV shows or movie scripts.

Is your life today what you pictured a year ago? That’s the wrong question. Playing games with the future is playing against the house in a casino. I had a friend who loved to forecast his wealth trends…” If this continues, I’ll have the Maserati and the garage in two years.” Well, he never did. But all that prognostication kept him from enjoying the very wonderful life he did have.

The reality just never matched up to the overblown expectations, plans, and fantasies.