The time I went Back to the Future

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March 30, 2015
Day 334

Some of my greatest life experiences have occurred in just the past few years.

In September of 2013, Andy and I made our second visit to California together.  I'd been to Los Angeles many years earlier to visit my sister Esther, and this time we spent some time with my sister Peggy and her husband Brian.  Brian's only a few years older than me, so a lot of our movie interests align well, and he happens to be a huge fan of visiting famous movie locations throughout the greater Los Angeles area.  

So while we were there, Brian took us to a few fun locations, and pointed several more out that I've since forgotten.  We drove past the apartment building where Daniel first met Mr. Miyagi, we saw the spot where Marty McFly parked the DeLorean before racing it down the street to send him safely back to 1985, and we even visited the famous 1985 house itself from the Back to the Future movies, the familiar ranch house on the quiet tree-lined street we all know so well.

As we started driving down the block toward the house, my heart began beating just a little faster, and I soon caught sight of the large power-line structures I knew were just beyond the McFly house.  We pulled up quickly, and trying our best not to disturb the current homeowners or any of the neighbors, we jumped out and posed for photographs.  It was such a surreal experience, standing there in front of what my mind always told me was a fictional place. 

Later this year, months after this little blog series is over, we'll all finally reach October 21, 2015, the day Marty and Doc Brown arrive in the future together.  I remember watching those scenes back when the movie was released in 1989 (when I was 13 years old), and thinking about what my own life would look like in 2015.  I had no idea what I'd have, but hoped I'd reach some level of happiness and success by then.

Well, 2015 is here now, and though my bank account and nonexistent fame tell me otherwise, I have to admit: life is even greater than I'd ever have guessed it could be.  Different from what we all hoped for in 1989, sure, but really, really great nonetheless.

Success and joy are measured quite differently from a 14-year-old's eyes to a 40-year-old's, but that's a good thing.  The future is never quite found anyway, it's always just ahead of us.  For many reading this, in fact, 2015 will already be a thing of the past, and by 2045, we'll probably still be complaining we haven't gotten our flying cars yet.  Perspective really is everything.