Dear 2040
What do you want the next generation to know about today?
Nobody knows how Tuesday will turn out. Trump says, “We’re in the golden age of our country.” Obama calls the midterms “our last, best chance to at least rein in some of the foolishness of this administration.” And Nate Silver suggests that, if the polls are right, this election could “mark the end of the Trump era.”
For perspective, a four-year-old today will be 18 in 2040 and voting for president for the first time. They’ll inherit the country we’re making now, and their vote will be shaped by whatever this election sets in motion.
Before we know what happens next, I want to make a record of what it feels like to live through this moment.
On the eve of the 2020 election, I asked WTFJHT readers to send me a handwritten letter with their advice for a future generation. Those letters and postcards are a WTFJHT time capsule of sorts that reflect the hope, dread, and acid reflux caused by the first four years of Trump. They’re still sitting in a box under my desk, which I hope to make public someday.
I called it the Dear 2040 project, and I’m excited to bring it back today. This time, however, it’s an online experience. When you click publish, your anonymous letter appears immediately in a public collection alongside everyone else’s.
Here’s the ask: Write a short, anonymous letter to the generation living in the year 2040 about what this moment feels like.
Write it to your kid, your grandkid, a friend, your future self, or to nobody in particular. What would you tell them about this American life and the view from your window? What are you hoping for? What are you afraid of? What do you think they should know? A few sentences are enough.
Write your Dear 2040 letter here.
Not sure where to start? Consider the Trump administration’s impact on climate change, healthcare, immigration, education, civil rights, Social Security, or whatever, like this goddamn war with Iran, and how it’s changed you, your relationships, and your outlook on the future.
And if you don’t have an answer, then ask a question!
Here’s how it works:
Anonymous. No name, no account, no sign-up. So leave out real names and other personally identifiable information. I will remove or delete letters as needed so nobody doxes themselves!
Public. The moment you submit, your anonymous letter is public for all to read.
Published as written. Every letter begins “Dear 2040,” followed by your own words. You can’t edit it after publishing. But if you want yours taken down, email me the link.
–MATT