30 years from now, where will you be? Maybe you will be starring in RoboCop 5.99. Maybe you will be playing Robo-Tennis at Wimbledon as a professional robo-pilot. Or maybe, just maybe, you will be laying in the gutter thinking "Oh, God, why?" No matter which one you are, rest assured that there is a future in store (lest the world end on December 21, 2012, but that’s a different story), it’s just a question of where you want to be.

There are a few options here. You could take the academic path and become something that your parents will be very proud of and talk about at cocktail parties.

Whilst they munch on their cocktail weenies they will talk to their friends and say, "Why yes, my son and/or daughter is indeed a graduate of (insert college name here) and now a lawyer. His/her most recent case absolved that famous athlete AJ Sampson of the crime that he committed." They will be able to drive up in the Bentley Continental which you bought them and be proud of the profession that you chose. No ifs ands or buts about it.

What if you find yourself somewhat lacking in the area of intelligence? No worries. There are many other options that you could partake in. For example, you may have the aspirations of becoming a professional sports player. Well, this is obviously a fallacy. If you have seen any movie about the future you will know that "human sports" are no longer popular.

Instead there will only be sports in the form of robots. Also, as a rule, every sport is converted to being a contact sport. Even so it seems that being physically fit and skilled won’t be a factor. Just being a good gamer is. So it seems that the modern day advent of a "professional athlete" will be obsolete in 30 years. Also, you will probably be too old to be an athlete.

So. No smarts. No skills. What else is there? Well there is but one thing left for you. It isn’t any different from today’s jobs. It is known only as "the cubicle." The cubicle is where people with mediocre skills and mediocre smarts go to present their talents to the mid-range of their mediocre abilities. Not too good, and not too bad.

Even though it seems like I have portrayed a moderately negative view of the cubicle, it isn’t all bad. If you know how to do it, there is a ladder to be climbed. Other than starting your own, what better way is there to assume control of a company?

Just beat the average performance of your co-workers and boom. You just landed a promotion. You may have to scratch a few eyes on the way, maybe step on a few toes, or possibly even put a crossbow bolt in a ribcage or two, but eventually it will be worth it. You may be a filthy scumbag by the time you get there, but hey, no big deal.