Hiya Rowan, good to see you.
I've always believed in a mix of free will and determinism but never, or ever, will know that ratio.
I do like the sticks floating down the stream analogy because I do think there's times and places that we need to be for whatever reason. And the existentialist in me believes that we have the free will to decide on how we to interpret and react to those situations. That may be what we are ultimately judged on.
There is a priest that has a radio show Who I really respect and thinks about these things. He studies people that have died and lived to tell about it. And has come to believe that the afterlife is timeless.
This brings up questions about the implications on the nature of Destiny. He talked about people that died and came back as having a life review, and that our reactions to circumstances are key. His interviews led him to believe that Purgatory is the transition from time to timelessness.
Anyway I don't want to know the future as much as I really do want to know the future. I guess if you live long enough and are the least bit sensitive you know what to embrace in life and what to run away from. Good enough.
Rambling.