I read somewhere that the ancient Greeks imagined your past as stretching out before you, while the future surprised you from behind. Our society imagines it the other way around: our past is behind us and we look forward in the direction of the future. I prefer the Greek metaphor (I enjoy being contrary), but neither of them is exactly right or exactly wrong.
I would guess that the modern version came into vogue when people decided they didn’t like the idea that they don’t have control of their futures. So they about-faced. In the new metaphor the past is no longer in view, no longer relevant. There is only the future — a future we plan and anticipate and predict. A future we like to fool ourselves into thinking we control. At any rate, no matter which metaphor you tend to favour, the truth lies in both together. Life is a combination of plans and random events, some good, some bad — and often both intertwined, depending on how you look at it, and how far into the future you choose to assess their consequences. To make the point clear I will leave off by relating to you a Zen story, which I am lifting verbatim from a wonderful children’s book my kids have called “Zen Shorts” by John J. Muth. Highly recommended:
The Farmer’s Luck
There was once an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day, his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbours came to visit.
“Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it two other wild horses.
“Such good luck!” the neighbours exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the farmer.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown off, and broke his leg.
Again, the neighbours came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
“Such bad luck,” they said.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.
The day after that, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army to fight in a war. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken they passed him by.
“Such good luck!” cried the neighbours.
“Maybe,…” said the farmer.