‘Wow!’ thinks Eco. ‘Now I understand why many of my owner’s life choices were made.’

Curling up on the carpet to wait for her, Eco thinks back to her life story, which she told him over and over again on cold winter afternoons while they were snuggled on the sofa.

Reconstruct the story of Emma, discovering the message the two would like to share with everyone.

It was a cold day in December. Fortunately, the IT company that had just hired me as a programmer allowed me to work from home full-time. Remote work and great pay: fantastic!

It was wonderful. I didn’t even have too many expenses. I could live without a car and still have everything I needed delivered to my home, without even having too much social interaction. ‘Less stress!’ I thought.

I had found the job of my dreams! I spent the whole day in front of the computer, always working overtime. The phone kept ringing, but I was so caught up in my tasks that sometimes I even forgot to eat.

Fantastic. I could only go out when I really wanted to. ‘I’ll be able to buy what I need online and… even what I don’t need so much… I’ll satisfy my every whim: I’ve always wanted a luxury car!’ I thought.

It was a hot July. My life was going on, secluded and serene. I was doing the job I loved and did not have to interact with strangers. Sure, I had a bit of a backache, ‘But thank goodness for anti-inflammatories!’
I repeated to myself.

Even that day, I had forgotten to do my exercises and didn’t feel like going out, not even to have a drink with friends. ‘Oh, well,’ I thought, ’I can do that tomorrow.’ I locked myself in the house and bought – strictly online – another designer bag.

I hadn’t done my exercises that day, but a cold drink with friends, to combat the mugginess of that summer afternoon, I couldn’t have skipped it for the world!

I hadn’t done my exercises that day, but a cold beer with friends, to combat the mugginess of that summer afternoon, I couldn’t have skipped it for the world!

A neighbour saw me and ran to help me. Mumbling, I asked him to call an ambulance and I was taken to hospital.
The paramedics said it was heatstroke.

A neighbour ran to help me, but I absolutely did not want to be taken to hospital, as it was just a stupid heatstroke. I went back to the house, drank some cold water and resumed my routine.

Without realizing it, my life became more and more about collecting things and… isolating myself. I started to spend my entire day online, not realizing that I could no longer live without a screen in front of me.

Many dioptres less, and a few years later, my social connections began to feel more distant. The things I bought online were overflowing from the rooms, and my health was paying the price.

As soon as I reached the sidewalk, I suffered from heatstroke.
After receiving emergency care, I was taken home from the hospital. I realized I would need expensive treatment to recover my back, eyes, and metabolism—years of sitting for 12 hours a day had taken a serious toll on me. This experience made me more aware of how essential it is to have access to immediate care, a privilege that many, especially those in low-income communities or without stable housing, are often denied.

I had reached a turning point in my life. I made a profound reflection: from that day on, I only left the house in the car, so as to protect myself from the heat fluctuations. In addition, I started to follow a balanced diet: fruit, vegetables and legumes, to get my metabolism back on track.

I had reached a turning point in my life. I did some deep reflection: I began by thinking about the causes of my malaise. It was not simply heatstroke; I had been letting myself go for years. For example, I no longer practised sport (I could hardly walk!). From now on I was going to make a radical change.

From then on, I went out less and less, for fear of feeling sick again. I ended up staying more than 12 hours straight in front of the computer and talked less and less with other human beings.

Within 10 years my metabolism went completely out of control and I suffered more and more from panic attacks.

The car was a bad choice: the temperatures continued to rise.

By now, it was too hot everywhere and even the air conditioner in the house melted.
I was hit by another heat stroke, stronger this time.

Today I have completely changed my lifestyle!

I go out often to enjoy the sunlight, rich in Vitamin D, I love going for walks with you, Eco, and I exercise every day, even if it’s just a simple 20-minute walk. I try to avoid meat so as not to burden the farms, but wanting to maintain a diet rich in vitamins and protein, I eat fruit, vegetables and legumes.

Also, I did the maths: all the superfluous things I had bought over the years, online and off, had done nothing but cause further global warming to be produced and transported. So, I decided to start recycling and repairing everything I could – from the toaster to the mobile phone – and to only buy more second-hand clothes.

You, then, Eco, were one of the most beautiful gifts I have ever given myself: I love you!

For a long time, I believed that my worth was defined by how much I worked.

I spent countless hours focused on my job, thinking that success was the only thing that mattered.

But over time, I realized that this constant grind was taking a toll on my well-being.

Work cannot be the only purpose in life: finding a balance between work and leisure is essential for a truly sustainable lifestyle.