Describe your vision of the future. $250 The Editors’ Choice Visionary Award.
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The human mind is constantly dwelling in either the past or the future and seldom in the here and now. These are a few of the aspects I believe are the most crucial to life in the future. I picture an urban haven, one where the chaos has been diminished and the air has been made clean. Fresh air really means fresh, and it’s just as prevalent in this not-so-distant cityscape as it is in the country. Some people still walk and bike to work, and that’s how they enjoy it. While others spend the money for passes on the Terrapillars.
These Terrapillars, for such they could very well be called, are train-like in design, and the experience of taking one to work in the morning is similar to a rollercoaster ride, minus the jumps and spins. They zip by at tremendous speeds and are firmly attached to their far-reaching tracks via magnetism. Every person is situated within a spherical capsule which is dropped off once the Terrapillar has reached the individual’s destination.
Humanity has stopped looking at humanity as some emotionless, ominous classification. Instead of seeing the opposite sex as an object of passionate desire, it is typically looked at as a fellow person who’s just as intricate and intimate as any other. Rather than thinking of soldiers as casualties, the list of which gets random names frequently contributed to it, generals try to get to know their soldiers and their families as best they can. Prisoners in the cell block are not called out by their catalog numbers but by their true identities. And the fetus in the womb is looked at as a baby, not a blob of senseless nerves. The average individual knows the difference between objects and people and is able to choose one over the other.
Objects of pleasure and pastime have been depleted. That’s not to say our future metropolis does not host its regular events for socializing and entertainment. On the contrary, such frequent events are the talk of the town and attract large audiences. Recreation is seen everywhere: in the parks and fields, in the apartments and offices. The skyscrapers pierce the clouds, reaching unimaginable heights. But on a personal level, within the home, much of society appears to have taken an old motto to heart: “Waste not, want not.”
Not only are there practically no hoarders to speak of, but every home is also less-cluttered than in past decades. There’s plenty of space to dance, to exercise, to act out charades, etc. Having fewer possessions has freed up a lot of time to pursue other endeavors, time which citizens of the past spent trying to manage and maintain their possessions. Some of the endeavors people are picking up and showing interest in are the arts. Inspiration, creativity, productivity: each one of them is experiencing an all-time high. Violence has become scarce.
Folks tend to look up at their surroundings more so than to stare down at a screen. People are more observant than those of the early 21st century, and they’re able to live life more fully. People get to know other people better; more relationships are being made. That simply means a few more hello’s and how-are-you’s are exchanged on a daily basis. Energy sustained by solar power and hydroelectricity is being put to good use. The city is one which shines proudly – quite literally. Street lights are always on.
Global warming has been slowed as the Terrapillars and other transports do not emit harmful greenhouse gases. Clouds do not need to be seasoned to produce rain. Nature lets it rain in its due course. The sciences have never been better or brighter. The field of medicine particularly has been able to conquer a number of common illnesses. Even most cancers are entirely curable.
With a lack of covetousness, there is a lot less garbage produced every week than in our present day and age. Piles of decaying junk at a designated dump are frowned upon from the safety of history books. This city is not unique. It may remain nameless for now, but its citizens won’t. It’s the people who call this place home that make the city unique. They have made it what it is. And the future of the future looks even brighter.
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This is an entry from our Editors’ Choice Visionary Award
Want to submit your own entry? Enter here! Top post gets $250.
Deadline May 31, 2018
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