Dear Grandmother,

Dear Grandmother,

Mom told me I should sit down and send you this letter. She said that Grandfather wasn't feeling well, and that I should try and take advantage of the time I can get with you both. I didn't want to write you one of those short, "hi, how are you?" letters, and not much has happened since we last talked, so I thought I would use this time to ask you some questions. We have this project due on life before the war, and I'm lucky to still have both grandparents alive, so I hope you don't mind...

So what happened Grandmother?

Did it happen all at once, or does it just seem that way now?

Obviously they just didn't start kicking down doors one day, did they?

Were you all just preoccupied, obsessed with pop culture?
Or did they just lie to you and you trusted them too much to research their actions?

What happened when you realized that you had lost control? Was there a specific action that made grandfather start preparing?

I wonder if it was the first Manhattan attack? I guess not, actually. That one seemed to be explainable...

Was it when they began to take the banks, one by one?

Actually, I remember Grandpa telling us, (I know he hates being called that!) he didn't have that much to begin with, ha ha. I remember that he was pretty optimistic, for a while anyways, that his trade, and hard work, would pay off later for both of you...

I guess that changed to MUCH later....

SO anyways, can you remember Grandmother? Was it when our debt was called back by China? Or was it the nuclear attack that same year, by "unknown terrorists"?

Was it when they started rationing healthcare? Was that when you knew? When the bodies began to pile up, when the epidemic hit Houston, when they traced it back to unsecured borders with our former neighbor, Mexico ?( I wonder if any animals will be found thriving in the quarantine zone, once it opens in 10 more years?)

Was it when hey came to your house Grandmother? When they took Grandfather, for "hoarding", what you and him had saved and prepared for? Was it when he came back, body broken, spirit all but extinguished?

Or did you rationalize it, like he did? Did you stand by and wait, wait for someone else to lead?

So, what happened grandmother? Did you think that it would all go back to normal? I admit, there are things I've read about life back then, and I know I wouldn't want it all back, but did you think it would?

What about the night they kicked the door down Grandmother? Why didn't you fight back then? Grandpa's spirit was gone, but not his weapons...

I remember reading your trial card...

You were plugged into that network, and you had advance notice... but yet, nothing.
They found all your gear, weapons, everything.

Unused.

And when they sent you to prison, why did you not fight? I read the stories, 200 prisoners to every one guard. But again, you did nothing...

I wish that I could say that Grandpa came to his senses, but I remember Mom telling me you were both saved by those troops from Texas...

That Grandpa had to be coaxed from his detention center....

But never again, right Grandmother! I mean, we don't let history repeat itself, do we? Not when we can learn about the mistakes. I only wish that your generation had all the information available that we have, that you had a democracy enabled and active, to prevent what happened....

Oh, I forgot, you did...

So what happened Grandmother?

Is this suppose to be in the Short Stories section?

2nd

reply to post by Shakezoola


No, but thanks for posting! It's good to know that you have been here a week and are trying to enforce the rules though. It says alot about your future, and how you will be a model poster!

Edit to add; there is no section for, "HEY, WAKE UP!!!", so I figured this is the closest....

[edit on 1-3-2009 by jasonjnelson]

A letter from the future? That was creative, I enjoyed it.

I can only imagine in that dystopian future that if you were writing that letter, you were writing it as a free person. Sounds like you didn't get caught?

Sounds like the writer isn't worried about getting caught. Am I correct? Is that how you envisioned it?

reply to post by harrytuttle


I envision that the strength of the free man will conquer the weak will of the slavers, yes.

And the kid wasn't alive when this happened.

Although obviously not all the people in this future are free.

[edit on 1-3-2009 by jasonjnelson]

Interesting. I write quite a bit and am always thinking of new ideas that seem interesting, and the letter from a dystopian future idea never even occurred to me. You should elaborate on this idea. S&F

i can envision som lil kid writing this. scary. maybe you can help me? im looking fora thread about when or how to tell our children?

Probably the best post I've ever read on ATS.

WTF happened Grandma?

S & F

reply to post by Magnivea


I have been mulling this idea over, based on something in another project I was writing.
I have been self banned from posting on this site, mostly due to the need to focus on my projects.
Thanks, and I planned on a series of these, based on the response I got from the first one. (this one)

-Jason

reply to post by guinnessford


I originally wanted to write this from the perspective of a 6 or 7 year old, but decided that I wanted to have a more elaborate understanding, (from the "writers" perspective) of the implications of societies actions. Though in this "reality", the writer is provided with a better education than the present day children of his age.

As for how to tell your children? let them enjoy their young years, but start them on a steady diet of TRUTH.

[edit on 1-3-2009 by jasonjnelson]

reply to post by Doomsday 2029


Hey, thanks, I appreciate it. I hope this gets some positive feedback, so that I can elaborate in future letters to her.

-Jason

reply to post by jasonjnelson


LOL that's funny.
Its not about rules though its more annoyance when you get stories come up in a section you are trying to read through.

Originally posted by jasonjnelson
reply to post by Doomsday 2029

 

Hey, thanks, I appreciate it. I hope this gets some positive feedback, so that I can elaborate in future letters to her.

-Jason

There should be many German Adults writing a similar letter to their Grandma.

reply to post by Doomsday 2029


And now you have it!

Congratulations, that was why i was making specific references.

Not that this was a contest, just wanted to point out that maybe some Germans should have done that very thing.

I asked my grandfather, from the deep part of Alabama, about his own past once.

Never did get the answer.

reply to post by BorgHoffen


Sometimes a story is not just a story.

Sometimes it is an analogy used to initiate a conversation, one that creates solutions and makes sense of everything going on right now.

Originally posted by jasonjnelson
reply to post by Shakezoola

 

No, but thanks for posting! It's good to know that you have been here a week and are trying to enforce the rules though. It says alot about your future, and how you will be a model poster!

Edit to add; there is no section for, "HEY, WAKE UP!!!", so I figured this is the closest....

[edit on 1-3-2009 by jasonjnelson]

I suppose

Intresting read, regardless.

Although I can't quite piece together it's meaning/purpose...

Guess I'm just tired!

reply to post by jasonjnelson



You have to understand though... Deception is at all time high.

If Deception was on the stock market... I'd invest.

If Deception was on the stock market in 1913, and I invested five dollars at that time... I'd be a millionaire right now.

Hey, I was fooled myself, maybe I still am fooled... but I know one thing... We are about to see the SHTF. I'm doing my best to get ready for the Zombie invasion.


There was one thing I learned from the Matrix.

Morpheus: The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.

vey good and original. ye, lots of truth going into my 7 year olds ears. but only what he asks for. and never enuff to scare him. til hes 16 or 17 though. by then im sure "things" will have started to happen. the only thing thats remotely good about it is he wont miss the freedoms that he never had. know what i mean?

I've written alot in my life.
I love your story. It actually made me wonder how my Grandchildren's live's will be in the future.
Good work!

reply to post by MagicaRose


I guess that I bounce back and forth between thinking that it's all going to be alright, and thinking that we'll be lucky to have kept from sliding back, much less advancing.