As I watch my little friend at the computer, learning to manipulate the mouse like a hungry cat, I know I am looking at the future. David is 4 years old and the computer is as natural to him as the toaster.

I ask myself: What will his world look like when he grows up? Where will he take this incredible machine?

Not so long ago, futurist John Naisbitt wrote a book called Megatrends. It caused quite a splash back in 1984.

I remember reading it with mixed feelings, wondering about an unusual world I couldn't possibly be comfortable in. Give us a break, I muttered. Why can't we just stop progress for a while so we can adjust to where we are? Why do we have to keep moving so fast?

After watching young David on the computer, I went back to visit Megatrends just for fun, to see how it stood the test of time. And you know what? Mr. Naisbitt's wild, innovative Megatrends feel like old stuff. What he describes is just ordinary life today.

Mr. Naisbitt chose his Megatrends by analyzing more than 2 million local newspaper articles during a 12-year period. If there's one thing in Naisbitt's Megatrends that's just as relevant today, it's the author's emphasis on education. Educating kids to be creative in a changing world, this is the key. And those without education will be left behind.

I already know young David has a future, not because he's a whiz at the computer, but for other reasons. David's parents value education and he has picked up on this. The values that parents pass on to their children are more important than a house full of