A Letter for People of Future - Essay Example

July 12, 2012 To people from the future, Hello everyone, I hope that you are all well. If you have unearthed this letter, then it must be about a hundred years after my time. Things must be certainly different now, granted that you are in the far future. I wrote this letter as a time capsule item to provide you with an overview of what life was like in the twentieth an early twenty-first century. My name is Sohr Picart. I am a college student. My day starts at 6am with a prayer followed by a 30 minutes morning jog. After this, I wash up, then take my breakfast and head off to college. This is what a typical weekday is like for me. During weekends, I work as a waiter at a restaurant and this helps with earning some pocket money. In recent years, times have been quite difficult and unpredictable worldwide. There has been a global financial crisis that started in mid 2007 affecting the world stock markets, financial institutions and governments. Almost half of the people all over the world live on a dollar or less a day. The gap between the rich and the poor keeps widening. The poor are mainly prone to infectious diseases with HIV/ AIDS infections being the highest. Water problems also affect approximately half of the worldwide population and deaths as a result of this have been numerous. Lack of education for these poor populations has only served to worsen their situations. Global decisions and policies are influenced by the rich and powerful nations and as a result the people and governments of poor nations remain powerless and continue to suffer. The greatest threat facing our planet now is climate change due to global warming. In some regions, temperatures keep rising and weather patterns become unpredictable. Events caused by extreme weather such as tornadoes, droughts, floods, wildfires, hurricanes and storms have risen in recent years. Scientists are working hard to try to find a solution to this problem but until they do such events will continue to lead to financial losses and death tolls. Racism, oil and gas have caused numerous wars between nations. The sad truth about this is that those involved don’t seem to realize that the impacts are great. Technology now surrounds most aspects of life, saving time, reducing errors and making life easier. The greatest concern about technology has been pollution and my hope is that a solution to this will be found sooner. I also hope that by now, such problems have been solved. Whichever the case, I hope that you get to learn from our experiences and make the world a better place. Kind regards, Sohr Picart. Example of morality and decision-making At such a time when natural resources are diminishing, people are now keen to use the remaining resources carefully. Presently, people have taken a move towards recycling materials such as plastics, wood, glass and metals. Research focused on finding ways to reduce dependence on oil and gas which are finite resources is underway. Alternative renewable energy sources such as wind, water, the sun, biomass and geothermal have been identified. In our society, people try as much as possible to help those in need. In times of natural disasters, trained workers from charitable organizations perform search and rescue operations to help survivors. Others offer help in form of blood and money donations, volunteering and transporting supplies. Although not all have had a chance to benefit from it, financial education initiatives for the poor have so far helped improve their situations. In August, 2005, a seriously destructive Atlantic Hurricane known as Hurricane Katrina hit the coast of the United States. As a result, there was huge loss of life and property due to flooding, airports and bridges were closed, the oil industry was disrupted and loss of power causing losses to companies and lack of drinking water to people was experienced. The international aid response by countries worldwide was overwhelming and this helped restore normality. Definition of Happiness My definition of happiness is having good health, peace, contentment and the motivation to prosper and contribute towards making the world a better place. I believe in genuine smiles and laughs in good times, positive thinking and appreciation of everything and everyone in life. I find joy in being alive, having people who care around me and the simple pleasures that life has to offer such as being able to walk, hear and see. By looking around me, I realize how fortunate I am having something to eat every day, a place to call home and something to wear. This is because at this time, there are many people in lack of food, shelter, clothing and other necessities. Others live in places with constant fights and insecurity, something that has taught me a lesson to never take anything for granted. Angels in America The play was written by Tony Kushner in the 1980s. It revolves around nine main characters namely Prior Walter, Louis Ironson, Joe Pitt, Harper Pitt, Roy Cohn, Hannah Pitt, Ethel Rosenberg, Belize and the Angel of America. The play has equal focus on the main characters that are all faced with the social issues of sexuality and AIDS. This play communicates and explores social issues present in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Since the diagnosis of the first cases of AIDS among gay men in 1981, many people have died of this epidemic. The epidemic has spread worldwide and the cure is yet to be found. This play will act as a reminder about social issues that could keep destroying lives if not dealt with. Massacre in Korea This great painting of the twentieth century was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1951.Women and children who were believed to have hidden rival fighters in the Korean War were gruesomely executed. The painting also portrays genocide and war against reproduction. The painting portrays the extent of human suffering associated with recent fighting. Women and innocent children form the group that suffers the most. At present, there is a lot of debate on whether people should still be allowed to have many children. There is a move towards controlling the worldwide populations of people that are said to have reached 7 billion in 2011. Heal the World This song asks people to make a difference in the world by helping and caring for others. Suffering African children are featured in the video. Michael Jackson wrote this song in 1991. Being both humanitarian and a musician, he wrote the song as a form of inspiration to people. “Heal the world” preaches the message of world peace and love. It tells people that they can change the world and they have the ability to rescue it from what it has become. People have been trying to do this although restoration of peace seems like a dream. This song serves as a time capsule carrying experiences and lessons from my time. It is my sincere hope that future generations will keenly listen to the words of this song and strive to make a difference. The Godfather This is a 1972 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film portrays the kind of lives lived by mafia gang members and how they run their businesses. Contemporary themes such as murder, money, vengeance and corruption are highlighted. In my time, the existence of criminal gangs is a common problem. Gang members are involved in drug use and trafficking, violence and all kinds of criminal activities. This film clearly highlights this. A number of political and other high profile leaders have been involved in gang activities in recent years. Strategies to curb the rise of gangs are being implemented although they seem to be yielding no results. We can only hope that these affairs end soon and that future generation gets to learn great lessons from this. Mr. Potato Head This is a toy that comprises a model of a plastic potato with plastic body pieces that have pins to attach them to the model. The toy was invented in America by George Lerner in 1949. Mr. Potato Head was later joined by Mrs. Potato Head and both have been used in stories, puzzles, video games, shows, costumes, movies, clothing’s, fast foods, books and even television appearances. Today, Mr. Potato Head is one of the world’s most idolized characters. The character has received numerous awards for being an ambassador of many good causes. Mr. Potato Head represents how every individual in the world should be, and that is being ambassadors for a good cause. The toy presents people and children with puzzles they are meant to solve and this is symbolic of life itself. References Angels in America. (2012). Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/angels/ Angels in America [image]. (2012). Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.imdb.com/media/rm467508480/tt0318997 Fascinating facts about the invention of Mr. Potato Head by George Lerner in 1952. (2007). Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/mrpotatohead.htm King of Pop Michael Jackson Dies at Age 50. (June 25, 2009). Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com/valleygirlblog/news/king-of-pop-michael-jackson-dies-at-age-50/ Martell, D. (Jan 19, 2011). What ‘The Godfather’ Teaches Us about Running a Family Business. Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.flowtown.com/blog/what-the-godfather-teaches-us-about-running-a-family-business Michael Jackson: Heal the World Meaning. (2012). Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.lyricinterpretations.com/Michael-Jackson/Heal-the-World Moral Issues in Design and Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.notesandsketches.co.uk/Moral_issues_in_design_and_technology.html Mr. Potato Head [Image]. (2012). Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.hasbro.com/playskool/en_US/mrpotatohead/ National Climatic Data Center. (2005). Hurricane Katrina. Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/special-reports/katrina.html Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues that affect us All. (2012). Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.globalissues.org/article/165/racism Victor. (03 May). Analysis of Pablo Picasso’s “Massacre in Korea” (1951) – When Life is forced to transform into Painting. Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.actingoutpolitics.com/analysis-of-pablo-picasso%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cmassacre-in-korea%E2%80%9D-1951-when-life-is-forced-to-ttransform-into-painting/ Read More