I think people look at tomorrow in two different ways:
Some people will think that tomorrow will be worse than today. They want society to go back to a time when things were better. They believe that by reverting back to a social structure, by returning to the way things were, or by reinstating certain values and mores that were in vogue before today, things will be better. Idealistically, they paint a very attractive picture of the "good ole days." They may not be able to specifically name when such days were, but they're certain they existed and that if society doesn't return to them, we're doomed. This is a very popular tactic with religious fundamentalists.
Then, there's another group of people who can't wait for tomorrow to happen because of the promise it holds. They believe that the potential of tomorrow lies in the fact that it is a new day. It's a new day for something great to happen, for things to get better, for the world to change. They view tomorrow as a place of possibility. They may not know exactly what it is that will happen to make sure tomorrow is better, but they do believe there is a chance that everything can and will get better. This is a very popular tactic with people that other people like being around.
The problem with thinking that we need to go back to a time when things were better is that fatalism is very real. After all, if things were better a long time ago, that means today is as good as it gets. Why wake up tomorrow if we think it will be worse than today?
The challenge with thinking that we need to move ahead to tomorrow is that things then actually need to get done. We'll need to move beyond the big idea into a stage of acting out that idea. We'll need to get our hands dirty, move forward, work together and actually build that which we've been dreaming of.
The best line in all of Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat is: "Does your society have more dreams than memories?" (page 451) And it is the same with our own outlook on tomorrow. Either we think that our best agenda of days is a month of yesterdays, or we're willing to bet it all on a week of tomorrows.
In Gabe Dixon's new song, “New Day Revolution,” he prophesies:
We've been sleeping...but the sun is always rising, everytime we open our eyes...we are waking to the New Day Revolution...we are singing songs of hope, and drowning out the fear, little by little we are living out the promise of the New Day...
Ultimately, the choice is yours. Whether you view tomorrow as worse than today or better, the fact remains that above all else, tomorrow is. How you view it is up to you.
But in my opinion, hope wins.