Let me explain. In “The Laundry” area of predictions, Atwood, who is clearly very interested in energy consumption, writes about the return of the drying rack and “clotheslines of all sorts.” (See? It’s eerie that it’s happening right now—at least at my house.) She also predicts a diminished use of fabric softener, which, I guess, without a working dryer makes fabric softener less of an issue anyway. Another of her predictions is the return of the clothespin apron—my mother would fall over if she saw me in one of those!—for the masses of us who she thinks will soon be hanging our clothes out in our backyards.
Atwood is, admirably, clearly obsessed with conserving energy. She also talks about “solar fabrics.” Atwood predicts industrial hemp (not the drug . . . sigh) will be legalized in the United States within 10 years. She predicts there will be clothing that heats the body, cools it, and recharges itself. She says to look out for sun hats with rechargeable batteries—she calls them “solar toupées”—that have small fans inside to keep you cool, and suits that, like an electric blanket, heat the body while you’re wearing them. (Perhaps Atwood can lead off the “solar toupée” trend?)
One area that I, as a mother, quite appreciated was her “Health” predictions. She says to look for “Forest Bathing,” which is a Japanese term for “walking in the woods.” She also writes about “Nature Deficit Disorder,” which she predicts will become an “official” condition. (If it does, I predict many mothers storming into doctors’ offices demanding, “Does my child have NDD?”) According to Atwood, if children are deprived of the experience of nature, they will suffer from developmental disorders. So get them away from their computers and make them go walk in the woods. Walking, she says, will help depression. Atwood also foresees an increase in outdoor classrooms—already well established in Europe. Other predictions include remote surgery, tables with foot warmers, and taxes on buildings that keep their lights on at night—oh, and increased attendance for theatre and opera.
Atwood threw in a last prediction. “I will be wrong about something, sometime. But what? And when?” she writes. In the meantime, given Atwood’s track record, I’m a believer. Can anyone tell me where to find a “clothespin apron”?
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