My Future Past

Wow, that was one hell of a New Year’s Eve party. At least, the parts I remember were. I don’t understand what made the room spin so erratically while the antique grandfather clock was ringing in its welcome to 2024. At least I think we were celebrating 2024. I seem to remember an old-fashioned TV broadcasting Dick Clark’s Rocking New Year’s Eve, and the banners read 1980. The other odd thing is everyone vanished from the party just as the final chime struck. Now that I think about it, I have no idea where that old clock came from, because I’ve never owned one. It just showed up, chimed twelve times, and poof, it’s gone again. Maybe what I need is a couple of aspirin and a cup of coffee.

This can’t be my house. I mean, it is, but it’s the one I used to rent 44 years ago. Walking from room to room trying to make sense of everything, I feel as though I’ve traveled back in time using Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine. Worn shag carpet on all the floors except the kitchen, and a brick and wood-plank bookshelf supporting a cassette tape player with large speakers proudly occupies the center of one living room wall. A 27” console TV sits against the adjacent wall. Beanbag chairs and a couch complete the room.

Yes, this is how my living room looked 44 years ago, but everything has changed since then, hasn’t it? Existing in a state of disbelief, I stagger to the bedroom. Now I know whatever happened is for real. Sitting in the middle of the room is my heated, king-sized waterbed. It had taken me several hours to drain this beast when I moved to a new home, but it was the most comfortable and fun bed I ever had. Now it was mine once again!

Then I froze. Could it be possible? No longer caring about the twist in time that put me in this place, I raced to the window and stared at the driveway. There she was, my 1978 Mustang Cobra GT fastback. This had to be real! I once again was reunited with all my toys. There was just one more test that needed to be passed. Striding forward on quivering legs, I headed for the bathroom mirror. Was I still the 74-year-old me, or was this the reconstructed 30-year-old me who was going to be staring back? It was time to gaze at my new reality.

And there I am, or was, this tense rectifying is confusing. The gray hair has reverted to black. I’m forty pounds lighter and most of the wrinkles have disappeared. I have no idea how this trip back in time has happened, but you’ll get no complaints from me. How many people can relive their lives knowing what they did wrong the first time around and avoid those mistakes this time? What have I got to lose?

“Take some time to think about that statement before making this your final decision.”

My body almost went into convulsions when I heard him speak behind me. Involuntarily, I let out a yell, spinning to see where the voice was coming from. I recognized the man immediately as someone I had been talking to at the party. Most of the conversation was me moaning about how great things were back in the good old days and how much I would love to do it all over again.

“I’m sorry for shouting, sir, but you startled me. I thought I was alone. Why shouldn’t I want to relive my past, knowing I can eliminate all my previous mistakes? Life will be better for the future me.”

By the way, I never got your name.”

“I go by many names, but my most common is Father Time. I brought you back to this time and place because you kept referring to it as “the good old days”, but were they really? It was during this time in your life that both your parents passed away. Your business folded because of a poor economy and your wife left you for another man. Prior knowledge would have done nothing to change any of these outcomes.”

“If you remain at this time, you will still have all this and more to live through again, but if you return to the present, it will all be in the past. The choice is yours. Remain or return.”