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Dear Penpal,
What's going on? It's a question I've found myself wondering a lot recently when I look around me. It charms me because when I look around me, I see everyone wondering the same thing: what is truly going on?
What's going on? Everyone seems so lonely these days. At late hours, I wander around campus endlessly, looking for some sign of life, to no avail. I have an odd suspicion that this being a commuter school makes students more scared to have a social life. It's harder to hold both relationships at home and on campus. Someone you meet on campus may have the same 1-hour commute as you but still live a 3-hour drive from where you live. Even when I wander through the day, everyone has some deadeye stare that looks straight through you for miles. Is anyone aware of their existence? What's going on? Familiar faces are the greatest delight to see here. They radiate a soft, gentle warmness that's hard to come across. The city is so bustling that it's hard to really look back and get a grasp of people's faces as they walk past you. What is going on?
What's going on? The world is burning as the people grow poorer. Society learns to idolize the rich, leaving the poor to die on the streets. Miles of tents filled with the homeless sit outside of San Francisco, but we can't see the signs. There was a book I read once, I forgot it's title, but it taught me a very important lesson. Even the people who sit to the side and do nothing will be affected by the drastic change that is to come in the future. We may be in college for now, but in the future, we may be next on the chopping block. Even if you stay out of politics, it may come back to bite you, as when the dictators at the top run out of people to go after, the ordinary Joe will be next. In the musical "Cabaret", Sally Bowles states "It'll all work out! It's only politics. And what's that got to do with us." She, along with everyone she ever loved, ended up dead at the government's hands. What is going on?
What's going on? One of my favorite albums by Marvin Gaye. On cool, rainy, summer days I find myself listening to it on bike rides. Have we ever stepped in the same spots of people we admire? That album is amazing, making an album from the perspective of a Vietnam war veteran coming home from the war and seeing how different everything back home became is brilliant. The lines "But who really cares? Who's Willing to try? ... To save a world that is destined to die" from Marvin Gaye's song "Save the Children" makes me question a lot. Who really is willing to try? So many people have given up on the world and it's been put on the shoulders of our generation to "Save a world that is destined to die". But who really cares, we're all lost in a daze with our own problems. We've lost sight of empathy for each other and for the nature around us. We need to be kinder to each other and to our world. What is going on?
What's going on? I look at myself in the mirror every day with the fear that I won't become the person that I'm supposed to be. Do you believe in destiny? Do you believe in fate? Our minds are lost in the caverns as our bodies all swim in the sea, do you remember each birthday card you've received over the years? Who do you want to be? Do you dream of the stars and the dull, overflowing night? Do you daydream fantasies of the person you want to be? Are you alive and with us? Are you from an age long gone? Do you believe in love? Do you keep secrets? There's an assembly of geriatric people all of various statures that constitute the futures of the youth in America. Shouldn't your future be yours? As humans, we need a sense of freedom to truly be ourselves. We were not made for order, we were made for simpler things. Life was made for fun but we've institutionalized it. There are more people trapped in an office from 9-5 than people who actually feel fulfilled with the work they've dedicated their lives to. What is a useless degree? It's a degree that doesn't make money, why does that exist? If we control the job market why would we make jobs pay more or less if the students put in an equal amount of work in university? We're living in a system that's failing us. What is going on?
What's going on? I hope I find you well and in good health penpal. I hope your future looks bright and that the stars shine brightly for you tonight. I hope the warmth of the sun heals you. I hope you can see the beauty that is around you. I hope you feel overwhelmed by the human connection all around you. Can hear the music as it plays around you? I hope I've shared anything of importance with you through this letter. I hope you live fully and that you write back soon. I will prepare my next letter in the mail in the meantime. Take care and stay safe, penpal.
Sincerely,
Dan
Top One Sea Creatures
Number One: The Pram Bug
The Phronmia sedentaria, or "Pram Bug", as it's commonly referred to is a member of the crustacean family. It's found in the deep ocean at around 1km or 0.5 miles below the surface. It's the largest member of its family and is one of the more "alien" resembling creatures found in the deep ocean. In my opinion, their striking demeanor and cool design make them a clear top choice for sea creatures. They feature many of the features found within other crustaceans and the isopod families, which I both love. With its haunting exterior and awesome existence, the pram bug is sure to make its way into your heart!!
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