Specifically in this year? Hmm, I mean for all of the complexities and hurdles, I’m just grateful to be here.

I think while technology is a double-edged sword, the benefits it can bring are massive. I’ve learned so much because of the internet. I’ve also met many amazing people. So in that way I’m grateful.

If I could bring back one thing from past eras, I would bring back a slower, more grounded way of living and tighter communites. I think technology has advanced, but the owning class has used it to min max everything, so we haven’t seen the benefits.

I think people need more time for rest and taking care of themselves and their families. Our most precious resource is time, and we lose so much of it, often for arguably not enough compensation.

I’m really happy to live in 2025 because that means I don’t have to cope with how the climate will be in a century. If I could bring something back it would be pre-industrial climate.

I am massively grateful for the internet, hollowed out as it is. Wikipedia especially feels like such an amazing modern marvel. I love that anytime I want to know more about something, I literally just have to type it into Wikipedia search and boom, I have an article about it and I can become a lay-expert. Our grandparents had to own an encyclopedia section or travel to library for that info.

Trying to think of an apolitical answer to the second question, because there’s a whole lot about past eras I wouldn’t bring back. I guess just…small communities where the only choice was to buy local? As much as I love being able to buy anything from anywhere at almost anytime, I think i’d rather live in an era when everything had the vibe of a small town where everyone knew each other and everyone helped each other out and you could let your kids roam the streets until late because you knew that your 65 neighbors cared about the wellbeing of your kids almost as much as you did. I think that kind of thing goes hand-in-hand with supporting your local businesses above all others. Maybe that’s overly idyllic and small towns have always been hotbeds of gossip and social shaming, but I think a lot of us in 2025 seek a sense of community. We want to care about our neighbors but we are scared of our neighbors. I think a lot of us wish we lived in a community that had Schitt’s Creek or Gilmore Girls vibes, even if that community is in a big city.

I am pretty grateful for everything I have. I know a lot of people have shit way, way worse than me.

But I really wish I had all the little personal things my siblings lost, stole or destroyed that time I took a job on a cruise ship and was gone for 5 months. Almost none of that shit can be replaced. They either weren’t retail commercial things (IE limited edition or special made items that are no longer available) or were photos, journals, etc.