Thundergirl

This statement print evokes a nostalgic memory of a bygone California — the place where this baby girl once grew up. Below is her first-person reflection as an adult:

“As a young girl, I had a tearful intuition that these golden years would come to an end. Riding along the California coast in my parents’ pink Thunderbird shaped the person I would become.

I grew into a free-spirited, sensitive soul who always knew the time would come when I’d have to leave my California ‘nest’ as swiftly as a thunderbolt. Just look around and read the news — you’ll see a society where the criminal class is growing. Violence, arson, shootings, and all forms of crime thrive, making daily life increasingly unsettling. California has become a place of extremes: annual megafires, a staggering portion of the nation’s homeless population, and a social fabric stretched thin.

Yes, the rest of America is declining, but not with the same intensity as California. It’s not healthy to wither away in a reclusive life, surrounded by hobbies, pets, and family, all of which offer little remedy for a deep sense of unrest. Now, as an adult, I have no more tears to waste on a society that feels hopeless — a place where respectful discourse has vanished, drowned out by the loudest and most extreme voices.

My mother once told me to think twice before having children — that California is a warning sign for the rest of America: a place marked by an absence of social consideration, reciprocity, and supportive relationships. Unruliness, incivility, and erratic behavior have become the norm, while most people respond by withdrawing or maintaining a veneer of superficial politeness.

As Thundergirl, I’ve chosen to leave.”