Team Ahimsa Blog Relay, Various Contests

The Future

All Words: 302
Isn't it strange that not so very long ago, we thought there wouldn't be a future? Yeah, remember - when the world shut down because of a virus, and all of us sheltered in place and put on masks when we peeped outside? Things looked beak. Dark. Now that is in the past and once again, we can look ahead to a future. So ... what have we learnt from the experience?

Nothing, I guess. We continue to exploit our planet. We continue to consume and consequently, generate garbage in more ways than we can count. We continue to be the selfish, entitled pigs we were before the virus came, tried desperately to teach us something, and subsided. Human beings are strong. We have put the awful, terrible tragedy behind us. Sadly, we've put the lesson behind us, too.

So what does the future hold? More population, more pollution, less resources, more deficiency. More cruelty to other beings supposedly 'lower' in the pecking order. More struggle over more money, more power, more control, more, more, more –! Unless ...

Unless the younger generation proves to be wiser than we were. Not smarter. We don't need more intelligence, artificial or real. Not stronger, we don't need more brute strength. But wiser. With a far reaching vision of the consequences of their actions. With the ability to analyse how each deed affects those interconnected with oneself. Maybe they'll learn that less is more. Maybe they'll truly believe that it's better to give than to receive. We didn't learn from our mistakes, maybe they will try and make up for these colossal errors. Maybe they'll be humbler, more prudent, less entitled. Maybe they'll share the planet equally with other living beings.

Maybe they'll peel off the mask of hypocrisy and let the future be open, honest and healthy. Maybe.