Maybe, could have, should have

Now I realise I am too old to die young, I sometimes wonder if my future is behind me.

Yesterday seems like a million years ago, but my past is only a wink away. If I close my eyes I can clearly see lots of yesteryear.

It's a comfort to remember all of the good times that happened when the world was younger.
Sometimes nostalgia can cloud out the darkness lying at the bottom of our memories.

So I wonder if thinking about the future will be painted in nice bright colours, or dressed in a black shroud?

I heard today that someone I knew had died of prostate cancer. I was a little bit shocked about that as he was only about 5 years older than me. Then someone said that age didn’t come into it. Like most people I think that 'It won’t happen to me' and, in any case, by that time in the future they will have a cure for cancer.

-

David was in the living room, writing on a card while his wife, Norma, was on the phone to their daughter. 'I am worried about your dad,' she said, 'and I am petrified what will happen in the future.'

'Mum, mum. You need to stop this, There is nothing wrong with dad,' said Jane.

'Everybody forgets their own phone number, it’s because they never use it,' Jane went on. 'You also said that he forgot to take back his library books when they were due. As I said, everybody does that too.'

'But Jane,' her mother interrupted, 'I am scared that he will get worse in the future.'

Jane interrupted her, 'I tell you what, Jim and I will come over later and we can talk about it. Okay?'

'Okay love,' her mother replied, then hung up the phone.

She walked into the living room and David handed her a card. 'Happy anniversary,' he said.

Norma burst out crying, then she said, 'Oh, God, no. Oh no, no.'

David was alarmed, 'Norma, Norma. What's wrong?'

Norma was staring at the card as if it was a venomous snake.

'Oh David our 47th anniversary isn’t for another 6 months.' Thoughts of a bleak future were running through her head as she said this. Then David held up his hand like a traffic cop to stop her, 'Today is the 50th anniversary of the first day we met. I know you might forget it, but I never will.'

Norma looked at him with tears in her eyes. Suddenly the future didn't look so bad.