Once upon a time, there was a great, bounteous land populated by majestic purple mountains, an abundance of fruited plains, and endless, spacious skies. This land was foreseen to be a land of prosperity, equal opportunity, and hope. We will call this land the Kingdom of Acirema. Acirema had acres and acres of amber waves of grain, and initially was intended to be a land of freedom that proudly displayed brotherhood, loving thy neighbor, and working toward the common good as opposed to sufficing one's own selfish needs.
However, this land was doomed from the start, for while its intentions were good, it was created by a very specific demographic of revolutionaries, and as the centuries withered away the socially-constructed disparities grew and grew until it became difficult to remember that each of the inhabitants of the kingdom were equal, despite the foreign lands from which they came, the shading of their skin, or the assets they had to their names (gold doubloons, carriages, precious gems, castles, you know the gist of it). What's more is the kingdom was divided into a class system, a division categorizing people into dominant and subordinated groups, and was kept in place by the subordinated group working for wages for the dominant group, and the dominant group working feverishly to better themselves and their standard of living and continuously undermining as well as condescendingly handling interactions with their less-wealthy counterparts. An overwhelming sense of supposed superiority poisoned the land, and it got so bad that these groups weren't teaching their children to love, respect, and attempt to understand one another, but were horrifically teaching their children these wrongful attitudes, and breeding ignorance and hatred from generation to generation.
People feared one another. Police were killing unarmed civilians, and the government turned a blind eye to their brutality. Elementary schools were being shot up. Lands were being taken from the natives and in some places, the water quality was too toxic to be consumed and no one did anything about it. There were 3 homes for every homeless person in the kingdom, and people tended to turn a blind eye from poverty, even when it affects those who fought for Acirema in foreign lands, and sacrificed a lot for the freedoms that Acirema citizens so easily took for granted. No one prioritized the well-being of the environment, which put everyone's lives in jeopardy. The cost of tuition for the average higher-education institution meant debt for years to come for most of those who were privileged enough to attend them. Times were troubling indeed, and the peasants of Acirema needed a hero.
The 16th year post-2000 was chaotic, to say the least. Innocent, undeserving people were senselessly killed, dark humor swept the interwebs, the economic disparity grew, and what remained of hope (and the ozone layer) was depleting so quickly that the future of Acirema looked bleak, at best. Toward the end of the year, there was an election between two opponents for the Executive office in government, and the best people the citizens of Acirema could come up with to represent their kingdom's best interests not only to other kingdoms across the globe, but to benefit the common good of the people therein were pitiful. There was Hilldog, the Wicked Witch of the Left, a criminal who had already put the kingdom's national security at risk, as well as made a mockery of the citizens and her pre-held positions of power. She stood opposite Doctor Chump, an evil and ignorant businessman who had no political experience whatsoever, but made a lot of money. Neither candidate accurately represented the general population of Acirema in the least, but rather benefitted the upper class, the wealthiest 1%. This upper class in the social hierarchy controlled more wealth and assets than the other 99% of the kingdom's people -combined. Furthermore, when Chump was elected as Supreme Ruler of the land, it was clear that the 17th year post-2000, as well as the following three that would encompass his term as Ruler, would be tumultuous indeed.
Times were certainly troubling. It was easy to succumb to a hopeless sense of desperation, entwined with fear and uncertainty for what the future held.
Does this sound familiar?
While there is uncertainty (and ample reason for it), and undoubtedly different manifestations of fear being exhibited in America post-election (those with common sense who are genuinely afraid of what our new leader will bring to the table vs. the racist, bigoted idiots who are still feeble-minded enough to blame outsiders for the problems tearing away at the country's infrastructure rather than looking inward), there is still hope. And this hope lies with you.
It is up to each and every individual to stand up for what is right, and lead by example. To think of others and prioritize them before one's self if the circumstances are right. To raise children well, and to think of the consequences of their actions rather than serving their own self-interest. After all, a society grows great the day that old men plant trees whose shade they know they'll never sit in. Change starts with YOU - be the change you wish to see. Spread love everywhere you go, and do not succumb to ignorance and prejudiced hatred. The world desperately needs more peacemakers, adventurers, inventors, healers, lovers, and storytellers of all kinds. Everyone has unique characteristics and capabilities, and when exercised to their fullest potential, everyone has the capacity to change the world, even if it starts with one person at a time.
