Planet Mary

I have often been accused of living on 'Planet Mary', as if it is, in some way, foolish to dream, or to believe in a better future. I suppose I escape there. It's the place where everything I see as wrong with this world is miraculously absent. Evil, abuse and environmental degredation simply don't exist there.

In the past, close friends have rolled their eyes during my rants, dismissing them as the idealistic ramblings of an inhabitant of Planet Mary. Or, should I say, THE inhabitant, since I apparently live there alone.

In truth, Planet Mary is not floating around our solar system in a detached way. It is here on Earth, a paradise of my own imagination and self-protective optimism.

If there were, indeed, a separate planet for each of us and we could design our world just as we chose, I would start with what we have already. I would replicate our own Earth with its unsurpassable, magnificent and diverse beauty.

I'd empty it of all human beings and all human creations and endeavours. I'd recreate all the species ever to become extinct as a result of human existence. When my new old planet was as perfect as I could make it, I'd reintroduce indiginous peoples, living in harmony within their environment. Eventually I'd allow a sustainable number of like-minded individuals to follow lives of their choosing, building societies and civilisations faithful to their way of living, though adhering to strict criteria:

No woman would ever give birth to more than two children, and she would not become fertile until she was in her late thirties. Thus, the human population would never grow to a point where the ecosystem would be in peril. All construction, agriculture and transport would be completely sustainable. Travel and cultural interaction would be viewed as healthy and desirable with mutual respect and interest between all races and cultures.

If I were to delve into pure fantasy, we'd be able to travel anywhere instantly on an emissions-free magic carpet.

Societies would be equal and fair, where everyone's unique talents and abilities would be harnessed, respected and nurtured for the benefit of both the individual and the society in general.

Nothing would ever be worshipped besides the Nature upon which we all depend.

As balance would have been restored to the planet and all debris and pollution cleared, the climate would have returned to its natural cycles. While understanding that over millenia all life will eventually cease to exist, the changes will be slow, gradual and scarcely noticeable for the new citizens of Planet Mary who live simply, peacefully in contented fulfilment.