<\/p>\n
A collection of letters written by Houston-area children in 1995 as part of the Children’s Prediction Project,\u00a0 safeguarded by Yvonne Cormier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cindy Rivas Alfaro<\/p>\n
In 1995, under the leadership of Hermann Park Renovation Chair Yvonne Cormier, children ages 8 to 13 wrote letters imagining what life would be like years in the future as part of the Children\u2019s Prediction Project 2020. Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, these time capsule letters are finally being opened this Fourth of July, offering a fascinating look at the hopes and predictions of a generation of young Houstonians. Here are their thoughts, lightly edited.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Teresa Ortiz, Houston: I hope you like my letter. I hope you like your new world. This is how I think it might be in the year 2020. You will eat this pill that is like a regular meal and to drink, you will have a pill that is liquidy and that will be Snapple. You will have virtual reality. I think the world will be like (this). I hope you liked my letter. The year right now is 1995. See ya.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Stephanie Johnson’s letter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Stephanie Johnson, Houston: In 25 years, I think the technology in Houston will be more advanced, but the community will be more violent. The violence we have now is growing at a rapid rate, and I believe it is going to get worse. To be completely honest, I believe the world will end before 25 years. It seems like people cannot get along anymore, and our pollution is outrageous. If we are still here in the year 2020, I don’t think Houston will be a place where I want to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Diya Bannerjee, Houston: In the year 2020, a virus will be invented to eat the pollution in the air. There will be no money, so nobody will be poor or suffer. I hope we will not fight with violence but with words. Many more immigrants will come to America, so my kids will have to work harder than I did when I was their age. Many things will change, but the one thing that will not is racism. Some people in America have very strong feelings against different colored people. But I think Houston will be a wonderful place to live.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Christina Monaha’s letter.<\/p>\n
Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Christina Monaha, Houston:\u00a0This is my vision of the future. In 2020, we would be as modern as the Jetsons. We would have cars that had no wheels and could fly up to three feet above the ground. Robots will help with the work. If you want to shop for anything, it will be done electronically. There will be absolutely no guns because they have been banned from Houston. We will have heavy-duty security at banks and stores. We (will) have a low-percent crime rate. By then, they would have already found a cure for AIDS and cancer. All in all, Houston would be a more modern, safer and happier place to live!\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Brenee Yates, Houston: In the year 2020, I think that Houston will be a disaster. Smog will fill our lungs from the chemical plants, and the streets will be filled with violence, gangs, drugs, rape and murder. The population will be rapidly decreasing because of people moving to safer places. The hole in the ozone will be enormous, and our forests and lifestyles will be totally destroyed. At the rate of our civilization, we will be this way in the near future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Sneha Vakamudi, Houston: I think it will be a nice place that conserves energy with solar-powered lights and clean oceans. The children won’t be scared about getting robbed. We will find a cure for cancer, and we will save the environment.<\/p>\n
Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Hallie Hill, Houston: I think that the zoo will have different animals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Robert Cantu, Houston: Year 2020 is going to be bad. There is going to be war against Africa. There will be flying cars. They are going to make a bomb that can blow up the Earth. They are going to use it in the year 2050. There is not going to be a soul on Earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Lauren Sweat, Houston: I think in the year 2020, things will be a lot different than it is now. Some of our wildlife will be gone. Like the pandas. I also think there will be a few new forms of wildlife. In the year 2020, there will be lots and lots of new stuff. New malls, toy stores, new schools, parks, buildings, new space programs and new sports. I think Houston will change a lot between 1995 and 2020 or in 25 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Annette Demaret’s letter.<\/p>\n
Yvonne Cormier<\/p>\n
Annette Demaret, Deer Park: That’s a good question. How will Houston look in 2020? Most people probably think Houston will be a polluted dump, however, I think people will start to care. We are showing signs of hope already. People (are) recycling and people are also trying to stop others from littering. Even kids at our schools are recycling paper and cans. I think people are starting to see the light. We have hope. But we need your help!\u00a0<\/p>\n
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