whitney's world
A reality that is peaceful, egalitarian and luscious
words: Whitney Fulton-Goldstein
image: Daniel Perlaky
The ideas presented about are not radical; but combined they represent a reality the majority of the people living on the planet could not imagine if they tried. What I’m describing is a reality that is peaceful, egalitarian and luscious. When asked to describe my personal Utopia I realized that my daily life is full of so much fortune it is really larger global, political, social, and economic issues that concern me and that I would want to change. So here is My Ideal Reality, it’s not particularly fantastical; so let’s throw in unicorns, pet sloths that stay babies forever, and Ennio Morricone has written the score to our lives.
Today I woke up and the air seemed fresher, the light seemed gentler, and I seemed to be smiling. My cat purrs loudly on the top of my pillow and my partner snores quietly to my right. As I step out of bed I’m so pleased to feel cool polished wood beneath my feet. No one uses carpet anymore; it’s environmentally irresponsible and a germaphobe’s worst nightmare.
My yoga mat is already out and ready, so after a few sun salutations I wander into the kitchen, turn on the coffee maker for him, and begin preparing breakfast. Everything in my fridge is organic and from the Farmer’s Market I visited on Saturday. I have eggs, yogurt, sliced meat and fruits with hot tea. A second plate is left out for the one still snoring in bed.
Unless it’s necessary I don’t take a shower or waste any water. Though my home collects water, we live in a desert and I try to honor that it’s a limited commodity. My clothes are soft, sturdy and simple. Without much thought I dress, grab the essentials for the day and head out the door.
As I walk to the metro I say hello to neighbors I see daily. It’s a perfect 68 degrees with a slight breeze and the sun is shining. After trotting down the stairs I swipe my card; there are no homeless, only artistic individuals playing in the corridors as I head towards my platform. Once settled I get on my iPhone and start reading the day’s headlines:
“U.S. Tax Dollars at Work: Rebuilding Gaza with Democratically Elected PFLP”
“G-8 Summit Cancelled Due to Peaceful Protest of International Citizenry”
“U.S. President Selena Hernandez Meets with Newly Elected Prime Minister of United Korea”
“Iranian Film “Triple Time: Before During and After the Islamic Revolution” Sweeps Cannes Film Festival”
These articles come from a variety of sources, Al Jazeera English, Indie Media Seoul, BBC and more.
So much has happened over the last year. As I exit the metro walking to my office I’m thinking about all of the events of the past year. It’s been volatile. There’s been so much change; it is the kind of montage only John Stewart could be proud of. We have relative peace in the Middle East now that Palestine is a sovereign nation where Jews, Arabs and Christians are equal under the law. Now that the U.S. is supporting the region by backing democratically elected secular governments and giving money to social improvement programs, things are starting to turn around. Here in the United States, we had the Second Revolution. It happened through elections and with minimal violence. Around the world education, nutrition, and health care are rights, not privileges. Drugs are legal—they are taxedand regulated. Therefore drug cartels have had to choose between being thugs or legitimate business people. The Texas border has gone from a boil to a simmer. Women are no longer disappearing and turning up charred and violated in the dessert. “Free Trade” now means environmental protection and worker’s rights have been extended, and are being enforced internationally. All ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations have equal rights. Conventional food practices have been outlawed. The meat and dairy industry as we knew it has been shut down and a return to natural wholesome farming
In the interest of social justice and global security the ultra-rich have started giving their money away; and everyone else gives their time to help others and improve their communities.
has been a global revolution. Celebrity worship is non-existent. Perez Hilton now runs a doggy daycare in L.A. The “celebrities” of now are men and women making the world better through political, social, technological, and artistic advances and organization. Both men and women have body images based upon personal health and fitness, not the bodies of others in airbrushed magazines.
My quality of life is no longer exceptional. The Global North and Global South are becoming more and more similar, not through gentrification but through economic development and empowerment. In the interest of social justice and global security the ultra-rich have started giving their money away; and everyone else gives their time to help others and improve their communities.
I sit down at my desk and look out across the city. I love my job; so does everyone I know. While some of my friends are artists, others are DJs, some fashion designers. I even know a few accountants. I personally coordinate and manage an international nonprofit that helps children in underdeveloped countries. I love my life.