Time Warp

Doesn't time fly? It does for me, anyway. Only a few days left until Christmas and soon afterwards the New Year! 2007.... my gosh!! It seems only yesterday that I was writing down the date 1967... where did the years go??
The second half of the last century there were so many dreams about the dawn of the 21st Century. It seemed far away, shining brightly, wonderful really... predictions that have not come true. We have not spread out to space, even the moon was abandoned... We haven't conquered poverty and hunger... We haven't been able to create a world government... We don't have robot servants catering to our every whim.
On the other hand, we have also not had World War III (thank goodness), we haven't completely destoyed the earth (yet) and machines have not taken over.
Not that there are no changes. The world of 1967 has very little in common with the world of 2007. Good things and bad things have happened during the last 40 years. One thing is certain: those of us who were alive in 1967 have grown 40 years older!
How and when did this happen? I still remember the 11 year-old child, a little serious, a little ornery who celebrated New Year's in 1967. I wonder how much it has in common with the 51 year-old woman of 2007, besides a few memories. How much of our core self do we keep intact as the years go by? Would the child recognize the woman? Would she be proud or disappointed of what the future brought?
It doesn't really matter. The child's future is now the woman's past and it is immutable. At least at this time. Perhaps there will be a bubble of time-space somewhere down the line where the past can change. A common SciFi scenario, that has not yet been realized either.

I thoughtfully wish everyone a Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate at this time and a Happy New Year!