"I'm living in the wrong century." In all caps.
I didn't think much at the time about what century she was preferring over this one, but I started to think years back she was referring to one around the 14th century, when Chaucer was around.
In a lot of ways, the world hasn't gotten better, although if one doesn't count childbirth survival rates, sanitation, life expectancy, and a bunch of other dangers, one could make the point that life back then was better.
I try to wonder whether life a century from now will be qualitatively better for most people. Absent some cheap energy source that doesn't pollute the planet, and a non-corrupt government enforcing a global security state (if that's not an oxymoron), I find it hard to imagine that happening. But it's not impossible, if there is a strong will for that. Perhaps Sparta's story is an example of such an outcome where history rhymes.
I don't really know. I'm just not really sure what kind of century this will turn out to be.
I'd like it to have at least a vibrant decade where, like in Paris between 1918 and 1940, and after WWII.
Maybe that won't happen until 2065, or maybe in 2035.
But I really would like to make this century a tad bit better.
The lousy people know who they are.