I’m just a character in a sci-fi novel.

Such moments of clarity often stem from my good fortune. I work from home. On a practical level that means I sit in a corner in front of two computer screens, two high definition cameras, a microphone, and two printers. With all that and a couple of phones, I run my publishing business. Some days it feels like a techno-thriller, other days it’s a futuristic action-adventure. Rarely is it dull.

Recently, I sat before this cluster of technology and talked with a friend via Skype. Talking with someone via my computer always seems weirdly futuristic to me. When I was a kid, video phones were the thing of movies, now that tech comes with the computer. That we were discussing the COVID pandemic just made it weirder for me. Worldwide pandemics are the stuff of novels—or at least they were.

As we were wrapping up the call he mentioned, “Have you seen the Space Force recruiting commercial.”

“No, I haven’t.” The link popped up on my screen as several near-future movies flowed through my mind. “I’ll check it out,” I said with a final goodbye.

Spaceships and technology filled my screen as I watched the video moments later. It ended by suggesting that perhaps my purpose on this planet might not be on this planet. 

I smiled. I’m not going to the moon or Mars anytime soon, but in many ways, I’m living a science fiction story.