2016 was a weird ass year.
Not necessarily bad or horrible. Not necessarily good and positive. Somewhere in the strange middle ground.
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It would probably take me an entire year to list out all of the strange, depressing, beautiful, uplifting and infuriating events of 2016. We regressed in some ways and made progress in others. We mourned our losses, but celebrated our victories. We were subservient. We fought back.
The effect of this seemingly endless cycle of ups and downs trickled down every layer, from the greater societal level to the personal experience. And if I were to arbitrarily (and comically) assign 2016 a letter grade, I would have to give it a combination of "WTSF" and "Unacceptable," with moments of "A+."
For me, personally, I had a good amount of A+ moments. I lost over 50 pounds, met the love of my life, quit something I hated and reignited a passion I've had since I was a child.
For me, societally, I feel like we stepped back 100 years. Violence continues to erupt, both domestic and abroad. Hate resonated in our ear drums, on our television screens, throughout our Facebook feeds and, to some extent, in our own hearts. And regardless if that hate was the product of upbringing or circumstance, one could posit that 2016 was a year filed with waves of hatred; from the outright ignorant vitriol of our soon-to-be POTUS, to the inhumane treatment of peaceful protestors, to the outward, "no fucks given" approach to hate crimes and discrimination.
But, in between those most melancholy waves of human downfall, we did, thankfully, have some signs of hope. We shut down DAPL, saving the dignity of native lands and hey, actually doing something environmentally progressive (you go, Glenn CoCo). For the first time ever, we had an American Presidential nominee that was a woman. Leonardo DiCaprio won a well-deserved and long-awaited Oscar. Religious leaders of varying kinds were represented as understanding and compassionate towards each other (as it should be). And Andrew Jackson was outed, making room for a great American figure to take his place: Harriet Tubman.
It's hard to wrap my head around how so many amazing events occurred in the exact same 12 months as so many cringeworthy occurrences. It means, for sure, that we still have much more work to do. But, it also means that, as a collective group of people, we have the capability to do some incredible things. And it takes all of us, to build upon that greatness. With so many measures put into place to keep us divided, the burden of going forward rests with all of us. It is up to the everyday folk to gather ourselves and prepare for the next 12 months.
And whether 2017 will be equally as black and white as 2016 has been is unclear. There is no way for us to know how the events of the impending year are to unfold. All we can do is stay resilient, loving and motivated.
In these last few days of the calendar year, I hope that we take the time to appreciate all of 2016. It does us no justice to diminish either the good or bad. The unfortunate events of 2016 should give us the push we need to actively participate in our own lives. It is my personal opinion that we should concern ourselves less with celebrities, gossip and the day-to-day garbage that fills our ears and minds. We should, instead, fill that space with altruism, dialogue and compassion. Likewise, the amazing events of 2016 should serve as a daily reminder that we can, in fact, be magnificient.
My 2016 was weird and I have no idea if anyone else shares in that perspective. But, what I hope for 2017 applies to literally every single human being on this Earth. I hope for peace, for enlightenment and for progress. And if your 2016 was a little more bleak, remember that you made it this far.
So, cheers to all that 2016 was and well wishes for everything 2017 will become.
