My Utopia

Technically, as in the dictionary, utopia is “an imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect.” In my opinion, however, we each have our own definition/look of what utopia is because although we are all living on the same plane, we are also very different.

What we have been through, our experiences, where we are at life at the moment we define utopia all contribute to our individual definitions. That’s why I’m not sure if the television show Utopia will be successful. I watched the first episode and although it was promoted as a social experiment, to me it just looked like every other reality show out there where you throw a bunch of people together under an umbrella (whether it be cooking, singing, dancing, etc.) and see what happens.

But I don’t want this blog entry to be about a television show. I want it to be about our own utopias. What does that look like for each of us? Obviously I can’t tell what your version looks like but I can share what mine would be.

It’s not complicated. Actually, it’s pretty simple. My idea of utopia is one where people don’t judge, where a person does not put themselves ahead of another person who is hurting, where we think of others before ourselves. In my mind, when a person puts themselves ahead of others, they believe they are better than anyone else but as I have said, we are all living on the same plane. We are all equal. Each of us are unique at who we are and what we do. But again, we are human. It does not matter what our fluid status is – whether it be social, financial, or mental – that can all change in an instant but even if we lose our status label, in the end, we are all still human.

Your façade may disintegrate and what you are left with is what everyone is – human. That is why my utopia revolves around people treating others with respect, caring, and love. It’s not about what you have, it’s not about accolades. It’s about how you treat humans, especially those going through trying times. At the moment of your last breath, how do you want to be remembered?

How humans treat each other is the basis of civilization and for me, utopia.

Dana