Keri Starkel Final Paper 2062: Life as a Chinese Farmer looking forward 50 years to the year 2062, life

as a Chinese farmer will not change much. Given the strength of the Chinese government and economy, they are becoming a very strong global power. Some speculate that China may one day be THE world power, growing past the reach of the US (Johnson). However, looking at the facts we know now and not speculating too much, the life of a Chinese farmer will change minimally. Likely, as a Chinese farmer I would not live much beyond 50 years. The life expectancy in China for a healthy male is 72.54 years (IndexMundi). For a farmer, the daily risks we encounter are much greater than those of higher social classes. My children have grown and married and my wife and I have 41 grandchildren. Our food source would remain much the same, eating primarily rice, eggs, and chickens. As we have gotten older, my wife and I are not able to keep the farm running on our own. Our oldest son has taken over the family farm and now provides for us, as is common in our culture (Oracle Think Quest Education Foundation). We help out as much as possible, but at our age it is difficult to farm like we use to. My wife and I are still able to take food from our farm to the market to trade for other goods, such as cloth and bowls that are needed. Our entertainment has not changed much. We still tell stories and sing songs. Our grandchildren entertain us the most. At this point in our lives, there are no great worries. Life has been good and to live until we are 70 years old is a great

accomplishment.

2062: Life as a US Software Engineer As a US software engineer in 2062, life is quite different. According to the CDC, I am likely to live until I am 77.9 years of age. Due to the increased medical technology in the US, as well as 50 years of research, I have been able to overcome and manage multiple age related ailments. I retired after a thirty year career as a software engineer and my wife and I live in Washington in the summer and Arizona in the winter. Our two children both went to college and one has a masters degree. We have three grandchildren total. We continue to eat the same local foods except for salmon. They have been over-fished so they are now extinct. They were an endangered species 50 years ago (US Fish and Wildlife Service) and people continued to ignore the risks to the species. We also continue to shop at the major local stores for our household items. In regards to entertainment, we tend to relax much more than we use to. My wife and I take long trips and spend our summers in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I golf and my wife gardens at our summer home. At this point in our lives, my greatest concern is the future of my grandchildren. They are growing up in a changing world and I cannot protect them. Crime is always on the rise, as it was when my children were growing up. The presence of drugs and violence are increasing and impact youth in suburbia at an increasing rate. According to the Seattle Police Departments crime statistics, in 2009 major crimes such as aggravated assault, robbery, and burglary rose. In total, the city

of Seattle saw an increase of 12% in violent crimes and 7% in property crimes increase. Crime continued to get worse as the Great Recession carried on for many more years after these statistics were calculated.

2062: Life as an African Parent As a parent in Eritrea, I would not live to 2062. Life expectancy in Eritrea is 62.1 years however there are many intervening variables that have caused my life to end early (Infoplease). The continuing genocide has killed of a large portion of my family. I have been killed as well as five of my children. My wife and three children are all that remain. My wife is getting older and is barely able to take care of herself. She has few years left. My oldest living son takes care of my wife. He is a local business man who has managed to obtain a modest education and has opened up a general store in our village. He does not typically trade currency for his goods, but rather he barters goods. The food has remained the same. Primarily fish and local crops are what feed the remainder of my family. My sons store has managed to fulfill the needs for household goods for our family. Entertainment is the same, shown through dance and song. Often times there are stories that are told to entertainment the young children. My greatest worry is the well-being of what is left of my family. The violence and disease has killed off over half of my family and my goal is that the remaining three children in my immediate family, and their children, continue to obtain education and help the region move away from violent conflicts as well as learn

more about disease prevention. In regards to disease prevention, HIV/AIDS has continued to increase over a portion of the last fifty years. Through education and available preventative measures, such as free condoms, there has been a steady decline in the last decade of new reported cases. In 2009, only 20% of those infected were aware of their health status (Bunnell, Mermin, and De Cock). Now, with increased socially acceptable discussion and readily available education, that number has increased. This is a good sign as it shows that the availability for testing rose and many wish to know the results. It is becoming more acceptable in the Eritrean culture to speak about how AIDS is spread, how to prevent it, and what to do once you have been diagnosed. This spread of knowledge is helping Eritreans take better control of their health. Although it seems that Eritrea is getting a handle on prevention of HIV spreading, there is still a long way to go.