Dear Future Self,Hello, 24 year old Abigail Anderson here. I am writing this remind you of how life was back in the 20s, and remind you to not be afraid to try new things. I recently joined the League of Women Voters.
Less than a decade ago, women finally won over the right to vote under the nineteenth amendment to the Constitution. I supported it tremendously, for then I participated in the campaigns of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. I want to quickly address a controversial topic that quickly erupted in this nation several years ago.The Scopes Trial in 1925 was a legal case in which a teacher named John Scopes was accused of violating a Tennessee law that declared it illegal to teach evolution in a public school. I believe this to be ridiculous and ignorant. My views currently of this subject currently agree with John Scopes; I do believe that evolution theory is true.
Thus, I find it violating that religious creation even be acknowledged, let alone be considered fact by the government. You may, as a older me, find that you have changed your mind about this. In these years following World War I, many people out there are left very upset and “disillusioned”.Ernest Hemingway said we were the “Lost Generation” in his popular book, The Sun Also Rises.
I, like most of my friends and family, have just accepted that life kind of sucks right now, so why not live without rules? I enjoy what I can, and it’s generally a worry free world out there. However, according to the media, others have returned to the conservatism of the late 1800s, and prefer the laissez-faire, “let-it-be”, regulation free politics of that time. Such people support the KKK, who are against immigration and communism. But how I decided to live life is totally different, something which I think you can learn from.I am a single, flirtatious, young lady. I love going to parties with friends and drinking.
Under the restrictions of Prohibition, every weekend I sneak into a speakeasy on Fifth Avenue for a couple drinks with Eric and Maddy, my best friends. Buying alcohol might be illegal, but who cares? We’re young and free, and it’s all for fun. I suggested to Maddy the other day, YOLO. It stands for, “you only live once,” a phrase I had heard from another dear friend. Maybe you could benefit from such a mindset in times of stress or trouble. All the girls around me have begun to smoke and have a new fashion sense.
I wear makeup now and shorter dresses. We have to be a little bit sexy for the guys, right? Here’s a pretty accurate picture of what we wear these days, as compared to those ugly, long dresses from when I was a teenager. I’ve also begun to wear more jewelry. In addition to all the fun and games of the present, new music and dance has sparked the country.
This “Jazz Age” has revolutionized modern music. My new favorite song is by Louis Armstrong: “What a Wonderful World. ” Also, a popular dance recently emerged, the Charleston, involving many kicks.Along with this, the Tango, the Shimmy, and the Cake Walk have made their way into the youth of America. While several of my friends work at home or as prostitutes, I work in a factory as a seamstress.
Up until recently, I’ve been working at minimum wage, but have gradually seen pay raises that accompany the feminist movements. I learned how to sew as a child, back when mother used to teach me about her job. Father bought me a new Ford for my last birthday. The Model T, which pretty much everyone has, has been booming the automobile industry and thus the economy in general.
I prefer this method of transportation to all others; the Model T is simple to learn how to use, cheap, and efficient. All this hustle about buying on credit, new consumer products and advertising is playing along well to America’s economy. However, as previously taught by my history class, America has a “boom and bust” cycle in which a big depression or panic usually follows an economic boom. When you look back on this, I hope life will not have been badly disrupted by such a downfall. In my spare time, I often go to the movies to enjoy Charlie Chaplin films, and watch baseball games through television.
Don’t forget those speakeasies! They are a key part of life these days. Just last week, Babe Ruth broke his seasonal home run record of 59! It was probably one of the greatest moments of baseball ever. Everyone, including some of those not so fond of blacks, celebrated the baseball star. I also read books, especially those by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is among my favorites.
This letter pretty much sums up these dramatic times, or “the Roaring Twenties”. I hope that after you read this, you will be enlightened about your past, as well as inspired to try new things in your day. Good luck, Abigail!
