Dear me in the future 2030,
I will be the age of 30 in the year 2030. I have a sister who is 9 years older than me which gives me some idea of what turning 30 is like. I will possibly have a job and hopefully a stable income. I might be living with my parents or maybe on my own far away from home. I will be able to have more options as to what I consume or not. Through this class, I have learned the importance of community and to keep in touch with the environments we live in. There are three actions I would like to take from now on. First, I would like to learn about the community’s history and culture of where I live in. In this class, we have learned that the lives of the people and the changes affect the culture and the nature surrounding it. For example, the people in Bhutan co-existing with animals while working on their organic farming and the people in Kyoto’s mountainous village’s attempt of preserving the knowledge of chimaki making and the Sasa forests are suffering from regrowth. I have always lived in the city thinking there weren’t much nature around me. I did not live in one place, so I was not sure where to call my home. However, when I look back at each are I lived in, there were always a community. Even if the green areas were only in parks, there were people who took care of it and tried to make a better environment. If I look for it, I think I would be able to find more about the community. Second, I would like to become a member of the community by participating in events and make contributions. I try to look for local business and support them. The area that I currently live in, there are many small factories and craftsman that use traditional techniques and create items with not only old designs but also by adding new twists. There are also restaurants with a long history. Now that we can buy anything anywhere, we must be more careful and aware of our consuming habits. By helping each other out within the community, the bond grows stronger resulting in a healthy community that is more sustainable. Third, I would like to be conscious of my choices and how it affects the environment. In 10 years, the climate change would probably get worse. We could be facing more drastic weather changes and national disaster that will require support from each other. Now, I live with my parents, and they support my academic life. When I have more financial stability, I would like to take more time in taking care of nature and support eco-friendly lifestyle. It is always better for us to be in touch with our surrounding environments and live in the moment, instead of facing the blue screen and drowning with information that are fed to us without our will. I hope for a better future for all of us.
Sincerely,
Yuko in 2021