A Short Post in which I Do my Homework

 Disclaimer: I'm real tired, this won't be as long as I'd like.

Sometimes you give out homework assignments that don't go over too well. This one didn't on the the first go 'round. So it was re-assigned today, and I decided to complete the assignment as well.

In my middle-school literature class, we are about to start reading The Giver. The Giver, if you haven't read it (and I highly reccommend you do) is a classic, a precursor to many stories which have now seized the adoration of young folks (and yes, I count myself among those) on an international scale like The Hunger Games and Divergent.

Without giving too much of the story away, it takes place in a Utopian society. "Utopia" is such a strange word, isn't it?  A word that we associate with paradise, literally it means "no place."  Utopia is the mirage in the desert.

I brainstomed with my kids about what they thought would make a "perfect world", and without even knowing it, they set themselves up for what so often become the central problems within the settings of classic sci-fi.
If you want something to be perfect, you always have to sacrifice something else. 

Assignment for tonight? Answer a series of questions to develop your own Utopian society with an accompanying illustration.

Mine:
Nation: Floravita, an interconnected network of small, independent communities that also trade with one another. They are independently self-sustaining because of excellent farming and medical technology. Each community has what it needs to survive alone, but they only thrive because of comforts the other communities offer to trade with them. Things like: furniture, nice clothing, musical instruments, art supplies, speciality food, books, ect. This keeps them interdependent.

In each community the population is small, 10 families. 15 is the maximum before families must be relocated. It is standard that 5 large family homes be reserved for new families. No more than 100 people maximum.

In terms of government, equality and freedom of speech are reserved, which is one of the benefits of having so few people. There are weekly councils in the center of each Floravita community, in which every community member over the age of 10 is allowed to voice concerns or offered suggestions. These are, in turn, voted upon. All of this is mediated by a community leader, an elder, whose job is primarily to hold order in the councils and relay the situation of each community to the other elders once every two months. All of the elders come together bi-monthy, meeting at various communities rather than having their own place.
 The people do not earn money indivually-everything is provided by the comminity itself. They do not want for anything. There is also very little illness because of the technological advancement and spectacular benefits of plant life. All families have their own private gardens and are responsible for cooking their own meals.

The technology is solar/wind-mill powered to prevent polution. The air is very clean due to the lack of pollution and the abundance of greenery. There are numerous walking places, parks and gardens. There are no resturants (because every household must be self-sustaining and there is no currency) but there are places to go and talk with friends, play and listen to music, drink tea, dance, or read a book.


Children who are growing up in Floravita have the following options for career choices: Medic, Farmer/ Horticulturist, Technological security, Technological Farming, Technology Manufacturing, Craftsmanship, Building repair, Artistry, or education in any of the afformentioned fields.

There is hardly any sickness or violence. When there is violence, the offender is banished immediately to one of the outlying communities which does not trade with the other communities and does not have the same advancements in medicine technology.

Men and women may choose their own spouses under normal circumstances. However, if the population exceeds maximum, it may be necessary to arrange a marriage between communities.

(there's more but I am SO EXHAUSTED)

You guys can see where I'm going with this, right?
The next homework assignment will be to figure out what could do wrong...DUN DUN DUN.

Because, once you get down to the details no where is perfect.
Utopia is perfect
"No place" is perfect
Thomas Moore joke...haha.

Until we get to Heaven, that's absolutely true.