Debilyn Molineaux serves as the catalyst for the American Future project to help everyday Americans discover and believe in a future that will be "worth it" to work together for the sake of our nation.
My new weekly column, American Future, will report on the desired future of everyday Americans as I interview a few people each week from across the nation. The four-week journey began on November 9, 2023. Zoom interviews will be ongoing.
Tim and I sat down on October 31, 2023 at my dining room table.
Debilyn: Hello Tim, it's good to sit down and talk about a future that you'd like to have for yourself - how far in the future are you thinking?
Tim: Let's go with five years.
OK, so where are you in five years? That would be 2028.
Tim: I'll be living in a small house that I own. It's a single family home that I share with others - namely my wife and child. Just one child in five years. The house is filled with possessions we love. It's a quiet neighborhood, similar to where I grew up. It may be in Maryland, or California or Illinois.
What will you be most proud of, in 2028?
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Tim: My family and the people around me. I'm proud that I've helped others to grow and contributed to their accomplishments and achievements. I've made them happy. I'm also proud that I'm mostly self-sufficient and capable of taking care of myself.
In 2028, how will you spend your average day?
Tim: I'll wake up early and work out. I may do some household chores. Then I'll likely cook breakfast for my family. During the day, I'll spend time doing social work. It will be a mix of in-person and virtual, helping people to work out their problems. In the evening, it's time to relax with family and friends. Having time to play is very important to me. I'll have a few evenings to myself, maybe 2-3x per week, where I'll go out. Evenings and weekends are for having fun with friends and family.
How does your 2028 self feel, most of the time?
Tim: I am generally pretty content and able to keep anxiety at bay; to keep myself afloat. It depends on how much the world improves, and if it does, I'll feel capable and secure. Compared to myself in 2023, I am calmer and optimistic about the future. I also feel self-directed with clarity about what to do.
What are your three priority values in 2028?
Tim: Self awareness, temperance and kindness.
What does the community that supports your future need to include?
Tim: Higher compensation for social workers! I make a lot more today in tech than I could as a social worker. I would need the ability to live comfortably with a family on one income, that could take the form of higher wages, lower housing costs, universal basic income, etc. We will need community based childcare, something that the families in the neighborhood could do together. We need a community where meeting basic needs is easy, from housing to activities to transportation to healthy food. Also, there is a new norm of handling conflict in a healthy way -- sometimes through compromise. There is an element of seeking to understand others, first.
Is there anything you can do today or in the near future to co-create the future you vision?
Tim: I'm looking for a partner to start a family.
This piece was originally published on November 2, 2023 AmericanFuture.us
Angela Ferrell-Zabala, the executive director of Moms Demand Action!, speaks at the Mother’s Day of Action Rally held in Atlanta on May 13, 2023. COURTESY ANGELA FERRELL-ZABALA
Destine Riggins says she was the only photographer at the various West Jefferson, NC racial justice protests she attended and documented, such as this 2020 march. (VICKI RANDOLPH)
Protest leaders give speeches during a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in West Jefferson, NC where Queue Wellington also worked as a leader in the local racial justice movement. (DESTINE RIGGINS)