for 29 OCT 05: THE WORLD OF TOMORROW

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find this humorous, serious, or a little of both - but from time to time, we offer things to reflect upon as we keep the seventh-day Sabbath.)

It was totally unexpected, and I never could have planned it. But on the vacation which just ended, I came face-to-face with Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is blonde. Tomorrow appears to be about 22 to 25 years old. And Tomorrow serves dinner at a nice restaurant in Panama City Beach, Florida.

Who could have guessed Tomorrow would be at a place called the Saltwater Grill? But there she was, a server with "Tomorrow" on her name badge. I'm not sure I'd want to hire someone named Tomorrow to work at a restaurant - because customers might fear that's when their food is coming.

"I have to ask," I said at dinnertime to Tomorrow, "and I'm sure many have asked it...."

"Late baby." Yup, she's been asked that question - so often that people like me don't even have to ask.

(In a way, it's reassuring to know Tomorrow took her name from being born late. She could have been named after that old Abbott and Costello baseball routine.)

I asked Tomorrow if she has brothers and sisters. The answer: one sister. "Her name is Summer." Too bad she wasn't named Yesterday - because she would have made a fortune appearing at Beatles nostalgia shows, or maybe with Hilary Duff.

"Back then, Summer wasn't that common a name," Tomorrow admitted. But then along came swimmer Summer Sanders - who as I vaguely recall had an entire Olympic Games named after her.

Tomorrow came across as a happy young woman - but I imagine she's had to hear the same tired jokes about her name, over and over....

+ Why isn't she invited to parties? Because Tomorrow never comes.

+ Why isn't she working at Disneyland? After all, it has a Tomorrow-land.

+ Where does Tomorrow go to meet new friends? To a Procrastinators' Club.

Yet here's the amazing thing: I went to Panama City Beach to focus on tomorrow - only with a small T. The church denomination I attend held a convention called the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrating 1,000 years of Jesus ruling over the Kingdom of God on earth. That's more than 350,000 tomorrows - and I wouldn't mind if they were all blonde.

When I walked into that restaurant, I had no guarantee I'd see Tomorrow. (The server, I mean....)

But come to think of it, none of us are guaranteed to see tomorrow - as in the calendar. Have you thought about what might happen to you, beyond today? What would occur for you next? Are you sure you'd be happy about it? Or are you concerned your "tomorrow" might be something like a grill?

It's certainly worth carefully considering -- not only for your property and possessions, but for your existence. I believe the end of this life is NOT the end of it all. That's why I'm glad I met that restaurant server -- so as Fleetwood Mac would sing, I "don't stop thinking about Tomorrow."

Your PayPal donations can keep this blog ad-free and independent-minded. To make a donation, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.