How are you?
If I asked you this you’d probably answer “good”, “fine”, “okay”. Something positive or neutral—which we consider positive. And of course, why wouldn’t you be good?
You go to one of the best CEGEP in the world (because the world of CEGEP does in fact limit itself to Quebec). You are surrounded by many people who are all there just like you, and they all look so different and so unique, yet you don’t talk to them, and they don’t either. You’re not part of them. Then you go outside, you step on a can. You pick it up and examine it. It says it’s recyclable, and you remember you have to recycle because the planet is dying and suddenly it’s all too warm outside for this time of year… Breathe.
You keep walking and now you see posters about Gaza, Ukraine, our provincial parties. Wars, wars, wars. Politics, Politics, Politics. How’s the province run? How’s the country run? What did that orange guy do today? Alright, don’t fall into that rabbit hole. Go buy yourself a little something. Wait. Can you afford it? What can you afford? And why are you buying so much? You know the planet is still dying and overconsumption isn’t helping!?
Get back inside, go get comforted by your friend(s), your boyfriend or girlfriend (no, I will not put an “s” at boyfriend or girlfriend.) But are they there for you? Are they annoying, are you annoying? We both know the dating pool sucks nowadays, what makes you think they’re the one?
Now, how are you doing?
Not so good anymore?
I don’t have any solutions; I walk the same halls as you do, but here’s my two cents on everything.
The planet is not dying. The planet Earth is a big rock floating in nothingness. It is not dying. We are dying. It’s not any better, I’ll admit that. I just never understood why people said we were killing the planet. I don’t know about you, but last time I tried to kill a rock, it went as you’d expect.
So yes, we, the living things, are dying. Unfortunately for you, my anxious environmentalists, there is nothing to do. In 2022, Canada contributed about 1.4% of the world’s greenhouse gases emissions, says ECCC. (And that percentage hasn’t augmented much now in 2025). Quebec’s emissions are even less. That means that Canada in its whole could disappear tomorrow, and we’d still be dying. In a way, we are not the problem. You want to improve the pollution level? Go talk to China and India. I just hope you’ll realize how much of an unfixable issue it is before you try to stand in those streets. Because you won’t stand long.
My English teacher told us we were attending one of the best CEGEP who produced some of the best doctors, some of the best athletes, and some of the most valuable future workers. I do think he is right. I just find it quite funny (and scary) to hear that said future doctor failed his chemistry exam.
He also said that we shouldn’t worry about housing, because the baby boomers will die soon enough, and there’ll be a bunch of houses available. He’s right, but it does sound wrong to say I’m waiting for my grandma to die even if I am waiting for my grandma to die. But I don’t think it’ll be that easy. Houses might become available soon enough, but they are not worth what they used, and they never will again. My dad mentioned that his coworker, back in the day, bought his house for 125k. Today, he can easily sell it for 630k. His mortgage is paid off, so that’s basically 600k in his pockets. My uncle sold his house for 495. His father, 730.
I’m talking about houses, but they are merely the tip of the iceberg of things me and most (if not all) young adults can’t afford. It sounds silly. The numbers are silly. But that is our reality. We can’t afford it.
I say that, but we all know that person that spends money like it grows on trees. It is baffling to see, but also quite extraordinary and mesmerizing.
Some of us are stupidly blind, and some of us are stupidly aware (I’m clearly in the second).
I don’t want to talk about politics. It’s tricky and you have to have followed the news. I do want to say that we have confused freedom of speech for the right of reacting. Politics are debates, are talking, are about making decisions (hopefully good ones). Nowadays, the political scene is filled with violence and hatred. You get shouted at, fingers pointing in your direction, you could even die, and all you did was share your political opinion. Sit down, ask questions and try to understand why that person thinks that way, why it is different from how you think. It’s simply that.
There are a lot more people around, right? Visually, I mean, because we know the birth rates are either untrustworthy, stalling, or declining. (I’m aware that it’s not like that everywhere in the world, but for developed countries (or the most developed developing countries) the situation seems accurate.) And everyone is equipped with the tools they need (inclusion, knowledge, acceptance, being neutral) to be the most accurate version of themselves. So, I was expecting everyone to chat a little with everyone. We’re all in the same boat. And yet, no one does. We’re all boxed within our categories.
(I come from a small rural school, so these numbers might shock you). I remember when I started high school that the secondary 5 were 40, 50, 60 people in total (two groups in terms of classes). And everyone talked to each other. There were friend groups, of course, but there were no borders. They could start a conversation with someone about a mutual interest even if they wouldn’t eat lunch together. In group projects, there was still that giddiness to know that weekend story knowing they wouldn’t be part of the next. I graduated with 85 to 90 other people (4-5 groups). During prom, one group had this part of the dance floor, the other group had that one. In group projects, you could feel the tension and awkwardness of not being with your friends followed by a hurried shuffle of ‘the faster we get this done, the sooner it’ll be over’. From my experience it doesn’t seem any different in CEGEP, maybe just a little less intense than what I saw in high school. I think it’s sad.
The other thing I find sad is that we all seem settled in our misery. I’m exaggerating a little, but still, we all seem complacent. Back in the day, people were ambitious or threatened, I guess. They took one look at their neighbour and tried to do better than them. It didn’t matter if the neighbour was actually better, no one wanted to be the last, at the bottom. They worked, they changed, they improved. If they were lucky, one day they realized that what they had was enough. The neighbour could compete, but it didn’t matter anymore.
Now people are acceptant. So what? And we’re not wrong to think that way. We’re too aware of what’s going on in the world, and we all know that there’s nothing we can do. But still, why did we stop trying to help ourselves? We can’t change the world, but don’t stop helping yourself. (That got weirdly deep.)
How are we doing?
It’s complicated, right?
Sources Cited:
Global greenhouse gas emissions – Canada.ca (emissions by country)
