I often wonder what life will be like a century from now

will we all travel in driverless flying cars

future medicine will perhaps eradicate all disease

technology will advance so much that we will hardly have to work at all

a century ago people tried to predict our lives today

we were supposed to be driving flying cars by now

firefighters were predicted to extinguish all fires from the air

entire cities should by now be covered by massive roofs

many saw the automation that we actually have today

although not exactly in the way it has developed

they predicted home automation to eliminate housemaids

robot cleaners being controlled by levers, pulleys and wires

farming automation was predicted to replace tractors

the farmer should be sitting on his front porch today

pulling levers that move wires and pulleys

controlling mechanical devices that plant and harvest in his fields

technology was expected to make our lives easier

not only by automating many manual processes

it was to liberate us from working long hours

giving us all much more time for extended leisure activities

technology has indeed made us much more productive

we can access information and process data so much faster today

but businesses demand profits and low costs

the dream of reduced working hours has never materialized

as the population of the planet increases 

we create more pollution and environmental damage

plastic waste fills our oceans and sea levels are rising

while politicians dismiss this as fake news

our minds should not be focussed on having more time off for play

lets stop dreaming about owning personal flying machines

our energies and creativity should be directed to sustaining our planet for future generations

a century from now people will probably look back at us with disbelief