Dear twenty-second century

I don’t know where to begin. I don’t know whether I should embrace you with open arms or be cautious. I’ve grown up in your predecessor, a time that showed me peace, war, fear, illness, progress, rebellion, togetherness, and divide. I am hopeful for what you can bring but am also skeptical and cynical. I would hope that in leading us into the future, you can promise safety, health, and love. I know these are things that I shouldn’t expect, especially as you come into being on the cusp of a pandemic, civil unrest, and environmental disasters. However, I think that there's a lot to bring as you come to power in a few years. I ask that you keep this in mind while you prepare for the upcoming few years.

Let me be clear, I'm certainly not one of those people who believe in the arbitrary new year that is supposed to be so different from the day before; the almighty turning point of the year. However, I am interested in the future and how we can move forward. How different will our world be in the following years to come? Will wearing masks be the new norm? How will you deal with the tension shaping society that is trying to balance stability and order and the protection of individuals? What will be necessary for the people under which you govern to be successful? What will persist, and what will drift into the past as a distant memory? 

While I am hesitant of you, I do believe that you have something to bring to us. I think you can bring lessons learned from the last twenty years and from the time that remains between this current administration and when you take over. I believe you bring us hope and the image of a better and brighter future. Please understand that I'm immensely grateful to have grown up in a time in which I did. However, it’s not unreasonable to think that we can do better as a society in all aspects of life. We can be kinder people that are more understanding and be better thinkers and problem solvers. We can strive and work towards making the world a better place for everyone. At the beginning of your reign, I will be well on my way into adulthood. When you come into power, I’ll be almost twenty-three (gosh that makes me feel old). I think about how you can contribute to my future as I join the real world in joining the workforce, finishing school, and beginning building my life. Understandably, this is a substantial task and responsibility; trying to make everyone happy. The changes I ask that you make for the betterment of society may be small at first but at least it's a start and it’s not going to make everyone happy but you’ll know what the right thing to do is and when (or so I hope).

What does this look like in the application? I’m not sure. Perhaps, the change looks like a woman not being afraid to walk by herself on a city street, a Muslim individual not being stereotyped and actually getting the job, or maybe it's just the prevalence of the understanding that we in this country are all equal. The problems are tremendous, and the solutions are dire if we wish to progress. Lastly, I ask that you think about these things as you prepare. In the meantime, I will do my best to do the same. I want to be a valuable player moving into the twenty-second century that can help you and the world achieve our goals. I look forward to seeing what you can do. Good luck and see you soon. 

Image obtained from Squarespace