A couple of weeks ago an article “Street Talk” by Julie Ellerton, The Malibu Times’ Multimedia Director, appeared on our front page. In response to the question “What’s your wish and hope for the future of Malibu (or the world) in 2020?,” six Malibu youngsters from preschool to the 7th grade offered answers which should give us all hope that our future will be in good hands.
They wished for a cleaner environment, fewer fires, less cruelty to animals, and more. I was particularly struck by two comments which combined the broad public good with a bit of, let’s call it, more immediate personal need.
For instance, Country Wasilewski, a 5th grader, asked for people to stop littering, to take better care of our earth, to stop cutting down trees, to treat animals kindly, and here is the part I call “just one more thing”— “a skate park for Malibu!” Saving the planet did not get an exclamation mark, but that skate park sure did. I have never met Country, but he is my kind of kid. When you’re asking for a better planet, why not ask for a skate park at the same time.
Now Cruise West, a preschooler, doesn’t beat around the bush. Before he gets to “And I’ll help save the turtle,” Cruise starts off with, “I hope for a machine that will give me money.” Cruise, that’s what parents are—ATM machines which drive you around wherever you want to go, or at least that’s what my kids thought until they went off to college.
If you ever get that money machine, you will not only be able to save many turtles, but my guess is you will have some money left over to buy lots of candy.
Now I am going to offer you my unsolicited wish for 2020 since not a solitary individual asked me what I want. I would like peace on earth and goodwill to mankind, plus just one more thing—a brand new home to replace the one that burned. There is no harm in asking.