Generations Of Change

• Rebecca Stephens, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2018

I have lived a long time. Longer than you might think. People often try to cut me down. But I always get back up.
I’ve seen many things over the course of my life. I’ve seen the world change. When I was first born, I was surrounded by trees, a forest full of life and sound and colour. It was beautiful. But over time, the trees were cleared away and the forest disappeared. Things made of mud and clay, called huts, were built. People came. A village was created.
Later the huts were developed into houses, made of brick and wood. There were more people, and the village became a town. Other animals, not the ones I used to know, came. They were slaves to the town. It was noisier again, but not peaceful noise.
The town grew into a city. Things began to change rapidly. Vehicles called cars and trains and trams were invented. Planes flew overhead. The houses turned into skyscrapers and pollution stained the air. People stopped talking to each other, instead spending all their time looking at phones. Rubbish began to overtake the streets, choking me in its stench.
Bullying and violence increased. Unkind words were used. People tore each other down, and things like hate, greed, jealousy, anger and lust became commonplace. Depression was regular. Sadness was ordinary. Fear ruled everything.
Many of my friends were torn away from their homes during that time. They were separated from the places they had been rooted in for centuries. But somehow I survived. Strangers now surrounded me.
I watched as the earth deteriorated.
But despite this, I did not lose hope. I saw the negative change, but also many other things. The personal things. A compliment. A joke. An interesting conversation between friends. A hand held out to help someone up. Donations of time, of money, of food, to those in need. A comforting word to another, reversing hundreds of negative thoughts they might have had. Friendship in times of need. Loyalty despite opposition. Honesty in the face of lies. Hope against all odds. Compassion and mercy and second chances. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Gentleness. Faithfulness. Self-control.
I, just a small blade of grass, watched the world. Some people chose to see the bad. But others focused on the good, taking each one in and treasuring it. The sadness I felt when I saw those who were fixed on the negatives, who missed the wonders around them, was great. But it was nothing compared to the joy of seeing one who concentrated on the positives. Those were the ones who were able to enjoy life, to live it to its fullest. And as I looked on, I knew one thing.
All was not lost.