A few years from now you go out to a local hangout with your date. The two of you, together with lots of other people in the room, put on your XR glasses,. Suddenly you are all sharing another world.
You can walk around in that world, listen to stories, play games, experience moments of transcendence and wonder. But there will also be people there who are working.
Your bartender is actually in a small town in Arkansas. The $50K a year she makes from this gig provides a far greater income than any economic opportunity she could have had before.
Of course she knows the names of you and your companion, as well as your favorite drinks and movies. After all, as soon as she greeted us, the information started to come up in her XR headset.
After a few years of this, gradually the U.S. economy starts to improve, as small towns begin to become more economically viable as sources of performance talent in shared virtual worlds . Some cultural knowledge simply cannot be outsourced to India or China.
Our nation moves decisively to an Experience Econony. In every small town there are employment opportunities for virtually present bartenders, waiters, vendors, concierges, as well as for pretty much any role which might be interesting or entertaining for audiences.
As new economic opportunities in the experience services sector become available in small towns everywhere, the political landscape shifts. People start to become more willing to see their nation as an extended community. They are able to become more trusting of others from different backgrounds, and are filled with hope for their future and the future of their families.
Just a few years from now…
