On the subject of time, there seems to be a contradiction in the spatial imagery of future and past time.

We look "forward" into the future; our best days are "ahead" (in the future) - or possibly "behind us" in the past; we "think back" to when all our brain cells were still active.

On the other hand, the car was invented "before" the helicopter (more past) and I will buy a private island "after" I win the lottery (more future).