A Look Back on the Year We Don't Want to Talk About
To
be honest my first draft of this started with “F*CK 2016!”. When I was thinking about my annual end of the year
review back in December, I really had nothing good to say about 2016. It was
shittastic, but I couldn’t post that because it would be dismissing all the
good things that happened throughout the year. So, I’m not going to write about
the doom and gloom, nor am I going to write about happy memories (those are now
preserved in my journal for future archaeologists to read). Instead, I want to
share with you the (heavy) lessons I have learned from surviving 2016.
Here
we go:
- Humanize People-
This
is the only political comment I will allow myself to include here. We as a
community have been divided by our
political beliefs. 2016 was a year of “us vs. them” and it broke us. It broke us
bad. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that people didn’t remain apathetic to
the political climate last year. We were active AF! But we allowed our anger to
divide us. We ended relationships with people who we thought were too stubborn.
We refused to listen to the other side. We called “them” sheep as we also
followed our own herd.
We
forgot that “they” are human too. “They” are just like “us”! They also want to
be safe, to be represented, and to be able to advance. We were so quick to label and isolate them that we
forgot the similarities of our struggles.
We
are all humans and not just statistics. As we fight for our freedom and our
civil liberties, I hope we remember that the “other side” probably wants the
same things too. We just have perspectives on how to accomplish our goals.
For this, I’m
sorry.
- Nothing Lasts Forever and Nothing Remains
The Same-
I
took people who care about me for granted because I was so caught up in myself.
It’s always been about me, me, me. I got too comfortable and 2016 was the year
the universe said “ENOUGH!”.
Consequences of my neglect to care for my relationships with family,
friends, and partner came pouring out in abundance.
The
funny thing is, these consequences had to happen in order for the lesson to be
learned. Through neglect of a
relationship, mishandled discussions, and through death, I learned never to
take a person for granted. I learned to be grateful for the time we have
together and to be empathetic. Everyone’s story is different and it’s important
to listen.
For
this mistake, I am so sorry.
-Live in the Present-
Don’t
get me wrong, looking back at the past and dreaming about the future are good
things to do. Unfortunately, I just do it in an unhealthy amount. This is
definitely a bad habit that I have to get over because it has cost me my
happiness and my relationships with people.
I’m sorry.
- Conclusion-
Though unpolished, that was very difficult for me to write. Self-reflecting has never been
easy for me because all I ever see are negatives. I have made so many mistakes
in 2016 and admitting them is so difficult.
I grew to dislike myself over the years and it’s been quite
depressing. It’s like every time I see
myself in the mirror, I just see the word “FAIL” written across my forehead.
But
it’s a whole new year and I truly believe with great hope and a lot of hard
work, we all can improve ourselves. We can all be happy. It just takes time,
work, empathy, and a more compassionate perspective.
A
teacher and a friend of mine once told me that she is a phoenix and so am I. I read that
over and over again through tears in my eyes because I desperately need it to
be true.
“I
am a phoenix and so are you”
Her
message gives me hope and I read that letter whenever I want to remind myself
that “I CAN DO THIS! WE CAN DO THIS!”.
I
will use these lessons and message to keep moving forward towards a place where
I’m happy and where I actually like myself.
That is reason why I truly believe, even with all the hardships we are about to face, that the "Future Looks Good”.
"Future Looks Good" by OneRepublic
from their album "Oh My My"
This emo post was written by Muriel
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