2061

August 18, 2061

I walked outside today and the air was coarse as it entered my lungs. I remember a time in my youth where money was being invested in research to improve technology to be less harmful for the environment. People viewed environmental threats as jokes- I knew they were warnings. The mask I have to wear everyday hides most of my face. I walk into the streets unshielded in hopes of taking in change. Each day I am brought down by reality.

On my way to work, I see nothing but brown lots and skyscrapers. As I close my eyes at night, I can still see the green richness the world once knew. The moist breeze overtakes my snooze. Each day of waking up saddens me. What happened to the world I once knew? What happened to the world I yearned to wake up to everyday? Venice Beach was my place of recollection and revitalization. The palm trees that once lined the sand are gone, with rarely a stump left to remember their lives. Corporations have taken over the cool and dewy sand that used to envelop my feet upon arrival.

The ecstasy of nature is now nonexistent. I walk this path of never-ending cement, yearning for days that no longer exist. Will these people ever realize what we’ve done? Will we ever take responsibility for the destruction of Mother Nature and begin towards reversing it?

I am counting the days until I see tomorrow’s yesterday… Maybe past trends are the innovations necessary for tomorrow. I am counting the days until I see tomorrow’s yesterday… I am counting the days…

-Alice V. Herrera