Sent on
March 8, 2021
by
Anonymous
Send Your Own Message

Dear future self,

This has been an insane few years, both personally and globally. There have been Black Lives Matter movements, a riot on the capital, the disaster and racisms of the Trump administration, and the global COVID pandemic. Personally, you’ve been stretched thin in your job and its impact on your self-worth. You’ve had to fight for what is right at work, you’ve had to ask for help repeatedly, even though it never should have gotten to that point. Each day has been a challenge, but your family and relationships have gotten you through.

I hope that the future is less selfish and more empathetic. I hope that the well-being of the individual is valued as much as the collective good. I hope that the Earth heals itself and that people heal relationships. World peace is a myth, but we can each play a role in bringing a slice of peace to where we are, to the people we interact with, to the lives we lead.

I promise to be more conscious of my food and product choices. I promise to purchase an electric or hybrid car as my next vehicle. I promise to continue to stay up-to-date on the science of climate change and to teach my students that they can make a difference.

Climate change feels like an insurmountable challenge. When was the last time anyone ever agreed on anything, let alone the whole world collaborating for a cause that dictates an immense change in lifestyle and priorities. The “danger zone” is so much closer than we think; it’s not just 100 years in the future, or even 30, it is already a slippery slope and climate disaster is only 7-10 years away. The world needs to shift our lifestyles to include less meat and incorporate more local foods. We need to limit waste, create sustainable products, and implement clean energy sources. Money needs to take a back seat to the reality that our home is at serious risk; in fact, money shouldn’t even be in the metaphorical car. If we were able to make and distribute a global vaccine for a novel virus in less than a year, we should be able to come together to solve the issue of climate change.

Share on:
 
Send Your Own Message

More Messages to the Future

 

To My Grandchildren,

It’s my hope that the following will be helpful as you navigate your futures.  These are the confessions of a climate activist:
 

Hallo Clara,

Was wohl der Klimawandel im Jahr 2050 macht? und wer gerade in der Politik ist? Bei uns macht der Klimawandel gerade Vollgas und an der Macht ist Angela Merkel, seit 16 Jahren
What will climate change do in 2050? and who is in politics right now? Climate change is at full throttle here and Angela Merkel has been in power for 16 years.
 

Dear Valentina & Luis,

You both know I have made it my mission to get people to understand more about the state of our planet‘s climate and what was at stake.
 

Hey kiddo,

I’ll be here to tell you all the ways I have fought for the health of our home, and fought to protect all of the wide, open spaces for you to run in. When you’re old enough, we can fight together.
 

Dear Tripp,

I promise to do my part, supporting federal legislation to protect our earth while starting small with projects at home.
 

Dear Future Kids Like Me,

What I hope for future kids like me is that they continue to ride the groundswell of climate change support all the way into action.
 

Dear Llewyn, beloved grandson …

I can only say that I devoted myself to doing as much as I could to make it better, to provide for a just transition, and to fight those forces that continued to exploit the Eaarth with extractive methods, methods that always also included oppressing some people–because those doing the oppression believed that they were better and deserved more.
 

Al mio piccolo, grandissimo bambino,

Hai compiuto da poco 1 anno e giusto ieri hanno annunciato la scoperta di 7 pianeti che potrebbero racchiudere in essi la possibilità di sviluppare, o aver già sviluppato, vita a livello organico.
 

To my wide-eyed warrioresses,

Since my two daughters emerged into this world, all of my tomorrows have become more dear.
 

Dear son,

Everyone should be grow at least 100 trees in his lifetime.

 

To my beloved granddaughters, Margaret and Caroline,

Growing up in Germany, I often wondered what my parents had done to oppose the Nazi regime in the 1930’s that led to WWII.  I was so disappointed when I found out how passive they had been. For me, this was formative.
 

Dear Nolan, Patrick, Cullen and Gabriel,

This Mother’s Day I am again thinking of my grandsons future and what I am doing to change the world if only by a small fraction.
View All Messages

Send Your Own Message