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Im 16. The other night while I was busy thinking about important social issues, like what to do over the weekend, I overheard my parents talking about my future. My dad was upsetnot the usual stuff that he and Mom worry about, like which college Im going to, how far away it is from home and how much its going to cost. Instead, he was upset about the world his generation is turning over to mine. He sounded like this: There will be a pandemic that kills millions, a devastating energy crisis, a horrible worldwide depression and a nuclear explosion set off in anger. As I lay on the living room couch, starting to worry about the future my father was describing, I found myself looking at some old family photos. There was a picture of my grandfather in his uniform. He was a member of the war class. Next to his picture were photos of my great-grandparents. Seeing those pictures made me feel a lot better. I believe tomorrow will be better, not worse. [Those pictures helped me understand why. I considered some of the awful things my grandparents and great-grandparents had seen in their lifetimes: two world wars, killer flu, a nuclear bomb. | 
