My Advice for 2026: Become a Hermit

By John Kuykendall

Okay, let’s face facts. Another year has come and gone, most of us are a year older, maybe not wiser but are happy to live for another year.
Having made another year of life is something to get excited about. A wise man once said, “Everyone wants to go to heaven, they just don’t want to go right now.”
Bob Tribble, the former newspaper owner had a saying that I will always remember. Anytime someone would say to him, “It’s good to see you.” He would respond with, “Yep, it’s better to be seen than viewed.” I could not think of a truer statement.
Anyway, a new year always means some type of change. One in particular that has forever been a claw in my side, it’s writing the year. It always takes me months to begin writing the new numeral. I assure you it will be August or September before I start writing 2026 and then it’s not long before I have to start writing another new year date.
With 2026 now upon us, it’s time for me to write my predictions for the upcoming year.
First of all, near the end of 2026 most of the cars on the road will be the ones that can drive themselves. Unfortunately, they can’t turn right or left on their own. So, what good are they and honestly, I don’t trust the darn thing to get me where I’m going safely.
With the things on the highways, there will probably be a lot less DUI tickets issued. I wonder if the car companies thought about when they came up with the idea of the darn car to drive itself. I can just imagine a couple of CFOs and CEOs discussing the technology.
“We can make millions off this,” one said to the other. “Just think of all the people who would like to drink more alcohol at dinner but are afraid of getting a ticket. If we perfect this technology we can charge a pretty penny for it. While we can’t advertise it as a way to keep from getting a DUI, I’m sure all the people out there will figure it out.”
“OMG,” the other one said. “Brilliant, simply brilliant.”
And all of you thought it was designed as a safety device.
My next prediction, AI technology will grow by leaps and bounds. Before the end of the year, some homes will be ran by an AI app, folks will be dating robots with AI technology, and even doctors will begin to become obsolete. How is that, you may ask?
Well, because probably the only doctors we will need are ones to prescribe medications and patch us up while we wait for the AI to do surgery and other medical procedures.
Let’s think about this logically. When we are children we learn by watching, listening, reading books, etc. So, we must consider that an AI is like a child and learns as a child.
When we get old, we get so smart we being to believe we know all there is to know, or we come down with Dementia or Alzheimer’s and return to a child like behavior and most often, very combative.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I want to be around an AI that is either too smart for its own good or has lost its every loving mind.
The famous TikTok will begin to advertise that, “It’s better than it ever was” and for good reason. The darn thing has turned into everyone’s personal movie space it has to undergo change.
My final prediction is that Alexa and Siri will join forces. Alexa will be deemed the grandmother of AIs and Siri the new mother. So, be careful what you say because they both will be listening.
I have a lot predictions but I’m sure by now you get the picture. Simply put, my prediction is that new technology designed to make out lives better is only a few steps away from becoming the new world order.
So, if we survive 2026 it might be a good idea to find a place in the middle of no where, with no technology, and begin living like a hermit. If you want to be safe.