Making The World Write/Right

While our world is filled to the brim with issues and struggles, I think the root of all evil is perspective. Every human being is born into their own life and is only familiar with who they are and what they have. We know what we can afford, our possessions, what we stand for, what religion or faith we practice, what we've learned and anything that we have been exposed to through experience or by our family and friends. We might have heard about different times from our parents and older relatives or from a professor or mentor, but we never truly know a life that is different from the one we lead. We could all definitely use a lot of culture.

Today's people seem to be starting to get the right idea with studying abroad and rushing to make and complete a "bucket list", but the world would be a different place if we could all get on the same page. I propose that it is mandatory for everyone to have a different pen pal every five years. When you are born, you will be matched up with another person of either gender who has the same birthday as you, but must be from a different country. Governments will work together to formulate these beginning pairs. At the age of five, you will start to communicate with this matched person back and forth for five years until you both turn ten. You may write only old fashioned letters or meet in person. No text messages, phonecalls or emails. Every connection you make will then be thought out and carefully planned in detail. There will be less confusion by what a text or email tone might be, and the handwritten letters will show true sentiment.

By writing or visiting this person, you will then be exposed to their life, culture, religion, daily experiences, values, etc. You will know as much about this person as they will know about you. It will only be natural to have a vast knowledge of this person's life and the differences between theirs and yours. You will know how another country, culture, family, etc. operates and you will be able to compare and contrast it with your own. At the age of 10, you will be assigned a second person who you will begin exchanging ideas with for the next five years until you are 15. The same goes for when you turn 15 until you are 20, when you are 20 until you are 25 and so on. Every five years, you will get a new partner, but you may choose to still keep in touch with prior ones as you wish.

I really think that taking the time to explain your life and your experiences will really make you appreciate and value all the opportunities that you have that someone else might lack. Problems that seem so far away from us like world hunger and genocide might still now be drying as ink on a letter sitting on your lap. The world will be sent to you in the comfort of your own home. You will have the opportunity to meet so many people and discover so many new places in just one lifetime. Now, it is so easy to think war is okay because it is not happening on our country's land and starvation in a far off place is okay because you are eating chips while reading about it. This simple communication and little change to your life will absolutely change your perspective and outlook on life and will make the world a better place.

Perhaps this communication will only change your mind, but that's okay. Even one small person can make a difference. One person can choose to change the world. This one system change suggestion could be the catalyst to an entirely new world and while the world may never quite be perfect, this can spark the desire to make a difference and make everyone's one life to live equal to each other.