Hello, world.
It's been quite a week.
Regardless of where you are, who you voted for, or what you believe in, you have to admit. It's been a week.
It seems like everyone has only one thing on their mind, can only talk about one thing.
I've seen despair and exhaustion and fear in the eyes of the people around me.
I've seen nasty words slung at one another on social media.
I've seen people take to the street, with their pounding feet and words and signs. I go to school in Portland -- those protests and riots happened just a few miles away. And yes, there was a difference between those protesting and those rioting, and that difference is important to remember.
I know that some people are scared. And I know others think that that fear isn't warranted. And I think we're all just so tired right now, regardless of where we are or who we voted for or what we believe in.
I know that there is a lot of hate that exists in the world right now, and that makes the weight of everything else we have to bear so damn heavy, that sometimes it's hard to breathe. It can feel hopeless. Why can't people listen to one another? Why is everything so hard right now?
And I know that this probably won't do much to help, that in the end it can't incite social change or protect marginalized groups or mend whatever fractures our country is divided into right now. Its not like it's going to make two such incredibly polarized groups together to sing Kumbaya and everything is going to be all right again, because really was anything ever really all right?
I'm sorry. I want to reach out with both hands and grasp yours and tell you that it's going to be OK and know that it's true.
Things feel so dark right now. Things will always, eventually, feel dark at one time or another. We all hurt. I wish I could do something to make it stop.
But instead, I'd like to give you a reminder. After this hell of a week, something like a light in the dark. Wasn't it Albus Dumbledore who said, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light"?
I want to give you a little light. So here are some reminders, that there is some light in the world, and that anyone, anywhere, can turn it on.
1. Worldwide literacy is the highest its ever been in history.
Who knows, maybe it's due to Harry Potter's influence, but as of 2014 the world's literacy rate was 85%, the highest it's ever been. More people are reading, consuming information, becoming informed. And studies have shown that increased literacy among a population can lead to economic growth. While there is still a large disparity between the literacy rates of richer versus poorer nations, that just means that there's still work to be done. When you consider how far we've come since the centuries when being able to read was an ability only a small percentage of the population was able to do, it's really amazing. The fact that you're able to read this is a testament to it!
2. The ALS ice bucket challenge actually made a difference.
A lot of the times, when things circulate the Internet, you hear about it once or twice or it becomes a meme for a few months and then you never hear about it again (KONY 2012, anyone?). In 2014, it seemed like the ALS ice bucket challenge, where celebrities and high school kids across the country poured ice cold water onto themselves and donated to the ALS Association, would be one of them.
But, as it turns out, $115 million was raised in eight weeks, funding 150 research projects and helping give assistance to 15,000 patients with ALS per year. And that's not all -- scientists have now found a gene variant associated with the condition, which is a huge breakthrough and can help lead to better treatments. Who knows, maybe a cure someday!
3. Giant pandas are no longer endangered.
Vulnerable, but not endangered. The population of giant pandas grew by 17% from 2003 to 2014, according to a Chinese census.
Other animals saved from extinction due to conservation efforts include brown pelicans, the Virginian North flying squirrel, Steller sea lions, Aleutian Canada goose and gray wolves.
4. Smiling is a basic instinct.
Babies do it. Adults do it. Even blind people, who have never seen a smile before, do it. Even some animals do it, like have you ever seen a dog smile? It's one of the best things in the world. Human smiles are really great too, when their mouths get all wide and the corners of their eyes crinkle up and everything about them just shines.
Smiling can also improve your mood and reduce stress, even if you're just going through the motion and not really feeling it. Just the action by itself can make you feel better. It lowers your heart rate and increases your productivity, and smiling around others can cause them to instinctively smile back. It's connection. And most of all, it costs absolutely nothing.
5. Languages are amazing.
This is one of my favorite facts -- to say "I miss you" in French is "Tu me manques" which, when literally translated word for word, means "You are missing from me."
It's basically the same thing, but with a subtle difference that changes the meaning just a little bit. Which do you think is more accurate when you talk to someone you love, "I miss you" or "You are missing from me"?
Or another example, in Korean, "I miss you" is "보고 싶은", which takes the verb "to see" and adds to it "I want," so translated literally word for word it means, "I want to see you."
Again, all these mean the same thing in general, but the way language affects our way of thinking and our actual meaning is just so beautiful. You can say "I miss you" or "You are missing from me" or "I want to see you" and it all means the same thing-- but it doesn't.
In short, language is beautiful. It's both unique and it brings people together.
6. Taiwan is poised to become the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriages.
Three bills on marriage equality are currently in progress and could be reviewed and passed within a few months. Currently, couples in Taiwan are sometimes allowed to register as partners, but their rights are limited. The first same-sex marriage ceremony took place in 2012.
Currently, 11 different counties and municipalities in Taiwan allow for registration of same-sex marriage. An opinion poll taken in August and October of 2015 shows that 71% of the population supports same-sex marriage.
On June 30, 2016, other countries in Asia such as Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Nepal and Mongolia voted in support of a United Nations mandate on protecting LGBT rights.
7. An ASL production of "Spring Awakening" made it to the Tonys.
Deaf West Theatre is a theatre company in California that is considered the first professional resident Sign Language Theatre on the West Coast. Their production of "Spring Awakening" was not only the first revival of the show on Broadway, but also ran in both English and American Sign Language at the same time.
With a cast of half hearing and half deaf/hard of hearing actors, the production was an example of how making theatre accessible to people with disabilities could be truly an amazing success. Ali Stoker even made history as the first performer on Broadway to use a wheelchair. They even got to perform for the 2016 Annual Tony Awards!
As a result, it's possible that in the future Broadway may create even more productions accessible to people with disabilities, and people can realize that the presence of a disability does not detract from one's ability to perform -- in fact, it can just be one more beautiful aspect of a performance.
8. India planted 50 million trees in 24 hours.
They set a world record for most trees planted in 24 hours. Which is no big surprise.
The previous record for most trees planted in a day was set by Pakistan in 2013, when volunteers planted 847,275 trees.
800,000 volunteers in India worked to plant saplings for 24 hours in July of 2016, in the hopes that the trees would grow up and improve the air quality, as well as help with climate change. The areas where the saplings were planted will be monitored by aerial photography to make sure they grow up healthy and strong.
Not only that, but it's said that the tree planting event in July was just one of many to come for India!
9. Norwegians during WWII wore paperclips to protest the German occupation
In the autumn of 1940, university students at Oslo University in Norway began wearing paperclips on their lapels to show solidarity with the Resistance, with the implication of "being bound together." It was a simple gesture, but one that the Germans eventually outlawed as an act of civil disobedience.
History is a funny thing. They say that history repeats itself, but sometimes it's not in the big ways. Sometimes it's in the little things too.
Like now, for instance. If you see someone wearing a safety pin on their clothes today, in 2016, it means that they, too, stand in unity with marginalized groups in the United States. It means that they stand with POC and the LGBT community and women and anyone who feels unsafe, and are willing to step in to do what's right.
Maybe it's wrong to call these little acts "political." When the Norwegians wore their paper clips, it was a symbol of unity and solidarity. Today, we wear safety pins as a symbol of unity and solidarity.
Maybe it's not a "political" gesture. Maybe it's a humanitarian one.
10. You are not alone.
Regardless of where you are, who you voted for, or what you believe -- you are not alone.
Regardless of your age, sex, gender, religion, race, height, weight, or any other identifying feature I haven't mentioned -- you are not alone.
There is a light in the dark. There is always a reason to smile, even if it's hard to find. You will find a reason to laugh, I promise you.
There are people who are with you. Who will stand with you and for you and will not let you go gently into the night. You will not go gently into the night because you're made of stardust, remember? Almost every element on Earth was formed in the heart of a star, and that means you too.
You, you're going to shine. You already do.
You are not alone.
Things may hurt right now. Things may seem broken and fractured right now, it may seem chaotic, but it won't always be like this. It can't. History doesn't happen like that.
Eventually things will settle down, eventually things will be OK, but until now, hold onto these tiny bits of light. And remember, you're one of them too.
