Dear Future Self,

At this point in your life, you are not truly sure where you stand in the world. You have radically different political stances than most of your family, you have great friends, a “good” (by society’s standards) field, and you feel closer to them every day you spend with them. You even begun to fully study what you wanted to study – courses in history and sociology, a sweetspot of yours. You find that you can keep calm in many situations and have even started becoming comfortable in your own skin, something you have always struggled with. Ithaca College has done so much for you, or at least you believe, and it continues to throw good opportunities your way. It has also created an incredible amount of unnecessary stress and strife in your life, as more and more becomes revealed about the college’s plans for the future, you begin to seriously question the motivations of the administration. To make matters worse, you are not currently sure of your own purpose in the world. There are countless things that have grounded me and that I have fixated on, the most important and pertinent being the climate crisis. This semester has allowed you to grow academically and stretch your knowledge and passion into other areas, specifically the Black Freedom struggle. But just because these issues exists does not mean you have to fix it – right? This semester has allowed me to foster empathy within myself that I have never had before, but empathy that presents itself in anger. This anger is blinding right now – it creates a gridlock in your head. Don’t let this overlook the fact that your life is largely changing for the better – but knowing you, that is the least of your worries.

Did you finally let someone know you just for you? The issues in the world dominated by capitalism bog down your mind to the point where you forget to take care of you, for you. There is so much happening in the world, but I hope that you have time to take a deep breath and are doing what you love and for something you are passionate about.

Realistically though, whenever you are reading this, it is likely that the climate crisis has probably begun to wreak havoc socially, politically, economically, and globally. Therefore, I want to ask you: have you done everything you’ve wanted to do?

Sincerely, Past Gabe (circa 2021)

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More Messages to the Future

Dear Birds,

will continue championing land preservation and the restoration of woodland, prairie and wetland habitats. I will not stop advocating for “bird friendly” legislation to make cities safer for your passage.

Dear future me,

My hopes have always been to live in a brighter and better generation, where women are respected around the world, human rights are respected and last but not least where animals and mother nature is cared for by us individuals.

Dear Tomorrow,

Awareness is key. Learning about this issue can seem like a small effort compared to other actions, but it’s the most important.

Dear Grandchildren — August and any others who were born after him

I joined millions of other people who wrote letters and made calls urging our leaders to do more to care for the planet.

Dear Tara,

I am sitting in a classroom thinking about you. Which is rare for me. I hope that our family has taken some initiative to do something about changing society instead of building robots and large houses.

Dear Students,

My act of love will be to use all the power I have, during the rest of my life, to stop climate change.

Dear Tomorrow,

We only have 11 years left until the damage done by climate change is irreversible.

dear future people (:

I hope that people are still enjoying the wonders that nature has to offer.

To the generation after mine,

But when you encounter that resistance–and you will, regularly–know that you must respond just how we have had to these past 50 years. With love, and sternness, and most of all, courage. Because that is what the resistance fears the most. We who came before you promise that we will do the same while we wait for you. Know that you will never be alone.

Dear Lucie,

Lucie, I love you more than you could ever know and I hope that my promises help contribute to a better world for you and inspire you to take action as well as you grow into the amazing adult I know you will be.

Dear Me of 2050,

I promise that I will plant more trees in places where there are none.

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise to be creative – make art!

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