A letter from February 24th, 2021

Dear FutureMe, Feasgar math. Ciamar a tha thu? How much Gaelic do you know now? I've been sat working through Aonad 2 this morning, in the study just tapping away. We've lived here in ****** for almost a year, and what a bizarre year it's been. Coronavirus has transformed the world as we know it. It's been heartbreaking, and horrific to see how UK leaders have dealt with it with complete disregard of the rising ***** toll. It's brought out the best of the best people and the worst of the worst. We had village folk we'd never even met offering us help as we shielded, and made friends this way (Eleanor being the best of them!). It was scary, to be honest, but we were privileged to live here in quiet, quaint ******. Meanwhile, people raged on the internet, blamed each other, denied scientific facts and put others at risk. People put the economy before the lives and safety of others. With such a seismic shift in the world, it seems like a good time to reset and rebalance. Return to factory settings please. Do we really want to return to "normal" as many people keep saying? Poverty, deprivation, islamaphobhia, xenophobia, racism, working people using foodbanks, the rich getting richer, the exploitation of the working class, them and us, homophobia, transphobia, climate change denial, the incessant dependence on fossil fuels, factory farming... None of that is normal, and whatever it is, surely we can do better? This is an opportunity to try something new. How about Scottish independence for a start - have we got that yet? Or the universal basic income? Proper trans rights? I hope compassion has become more of the norm, and that the hatred whipped up since David Cameron first muttered "Brexit" has simmered down. Are people still openly and brazenly racist like they are now in 2021? Do people still read The Sun and The Daily Mail? Is being a "Snowflake" and a social justice warrior still considered to be a bad thing? I hope that by the time you're reading this that things have changed. I have faith in young people. They see the world with fresh eyes, they have enthusiasm for change and challenge the status quo. They are woke and powerful. I hope we haven't let the ******** grind them down. From the past, with much hope 💕