The New Year usually brings about in all of us reflections on the past and contemplations of the future. In Shadow of the Son, Percy states that the future lurks out of sight, like the ghosts that surround him, seen but not seen. We all know that the future is there, but the question most thought about, even if only silently to oneself, is, “will it be good or bad?”

Albert Einstein stated it best by saying that the most important question a person can ask is, “is the universe a friendly place?”

Well, is it friendly?

Your answer to that one will determine everything that follows.

For myself, I think it is. It is the more empowering view after all.