Beam me up, Scottie
Once upon a time, I believed that the sun went up and down, the stars were few and far apart, the moon always appeared the same, that the rocks on the shores of James Bay had looked the same for millions of years and that dinosaurs were unknown relics even older than the rocks themselves. Mars was reachable and space was something that Captain Kirk was still in the early phase of discovering. These were my early beliefs in mankind’s urge to go nowhere at all other than in sci-fi magazines. Other than that, the theories of space travel were just imaginary back then.
Our space-travel stories from the past are now ingrained by our mythologies. Could the stories of old have been invented by imagination to pass the time during bad weather and have some sort of meaning attached or a lesson to be learned? Did man invent the gods and then God himself? Are the present times representative of the imaginations of the past turned into tangible modern structures and inventions?
And how about our own imagination as a small nation? Could we depend on theories to get by? Can we grow with imagination instead of solid rock formation methods? Can we get a move on here from small village concept to nation concept without having to theorize everything? I prefer solid paperwork trails that lead to a future, instead of following a trail of Klingon droppings that lead to self destruction.
Sometimes, we all get caught up with our last adventure with reality and go on and on about what happened in those exciting times. It’s like wanting to get back on the roller coaster. Give me solid direction instead. The past belongs in the past. Today and the future are much more promising, based on the theory that our education and understanding has provided. Sometimes, it just takes trust to hand over the steering wheel, confident knowing that the kids will be better off today than it was for us old folks.
But the past – good or bad – does have to be respected and acknowledged. The residential school system taught us that. We cannot undo what happened to our people but we know what can never be allowed to happen again. This is the root of education that taught us to fend for ourselves and not to give in. This strength and resolve took root in some of the hardest times for our people, in the resolve of the young people of those days. They are now your grandparents, parents and Elders. Some have moved on to the heavens, and this strength is now being handed over to their children.
Today, we are washed over with technology, something that Trekkies of old had never expected to see in their lifetime! We all have our own tricorders and the ability to send information over to your 3D printer to make a skidoo part, for example. Space travel is taken for granted as we wield the latest in satellite phones (phooey to the old cellphone). And GPS tells us if we stray off the beaten path, or, actually go where no man has gone before!
My theory is that the technology will force us to come up with alternate power sources and that hydro power will become what it really is – old technology fit for a few million but not for a few. So, instead of waiting for someone to trample over us again and or for someone to react fast enough to get compensation funds, we should concentrate on coming up with some solid businesses or become a leader in alternate energy sources. My recommendation for this Goose Break is to come up with theories while you’re out on the land enjoying it while you can.