I had dinner with a wonderful group of friends recently and asked everyone what was bad and what was good for them in 2016? Well, actually, it was phrased more like what fucken sucked and what was awesome, but both work right?
Some answered with things closer to home, some answered spiritually, and some were out there facing down the issues of our world. It was fascinating. We are all so different and so unique, and what sucks for one is definitely not the same as what sucks for the next person. Neither is the joy of life the same.
After it was revealed that George Michael and Carrie Fisher died this week, I’m like yeah – fuck you 2016, you have totally sucked the big one!! George was my early teen years’ idol and I loved him; Carrie was a significant part of my younger years and a role model in living life, screwing up, only to get back up again. There’s definitely no question too many greats left us this year.
But more than famous people dying off, there just seemed to be so much BAD going down in 2016.
From the on-going refugee crisis, with thousands dying at sea, many sold into sexual slavery, and just too many suffering too much when we should be taking better care of each other; to the complete and utter shit storm of Syria and most recently, the atrocity of Aleppo; add to this all of the terrorist incidents across the year (including those carried out by white Christian people); Donald-fucking-Trump; Brexit; the rise of white supremacists; Daesh and their pathetic doctrine; the massacre and neglect of the Rohingya people and my dwindling love for Aung San Suu Kyi as she does nothing; extinctions of the world’s beautiful creatures with so many more teetering on the brink; the rise to power of climate change deniers; the on-going attitude of profit for profits sake; environmental destruction continuing unabated; the Great Barrier Reef bleaching event; sadistic rulers coming into power; the bollocks in Turkey, Russia, Greece, Italy and more; youth unemployment around the world; inequality off the charts; the continuing destruction of the forests that just happen to deliver the very air we breathe; the rise of fearfulness towards those different to ourselves; and on I could go.
Not all of the sucky stuff for 2016 is new, of course, but the fact that we are still continuing as we always have concerns me greatly. The world is not dying, but our ability to live on it is. The world will recover whatever we throw at it, but we may not. Why don’t we get this? Why are we so fucken stupid? And mostly, why do we allow ourselves to get side-tracked by bollocks and hatred, when what we really need to do right now is focus on the biggest issues facing our world collectively?
So if I summed up one thing that sucked in 2016, it is the massive stupidity on show and that is definitely what is fucking me off the most. Even those who profit from this time won’t survive it. It’s just crazy shit.
But then I think about the good stuff. My magnificent husband, who had a great year in his own right, and continues to show me incredible support for all I want to achieve. I am a lucky gal and adore him. Add to this the privilege of watching my beautiful boys growing into the men they will become – all heart and passion. Oh sure, they give me the shits every day, but I’m sure I give them the shits every day too.
I’ve also loved this year because I’ve developed loads of new friendships and built a new community around my family in Singapore, which has been lovely. Friends come and go in this transient life, so having a new network that loves and supports each other is always special and worth celebrating.
And then of course I started my business again this year. I started it way-back in 2006 and had to close it down because I was too early. That was a crushing blow for me, but in hindsight, what a gift of lessons. Whether life is good or bad, the lessons are always the gift. Thankfully, it’s no longer too early for me to be doing what I’m doing, and the business is off to an amazing start – such a relief. That has been great. I am chasing my dreams and starting to be able to live the life I want to live. I can tell you it is possible to do this if you never ever give up. And I mean never!
So on many fronts it has been a great year. An amazing year. But the issues of the wider world have sucked me in and brought me down too often. It’s felt impossible to find joy in the melee that has been 2016. Donald Trump being elected was probably the biggest kick in the teeth for me, because how do we survive such an ignoramus in the White House?
But we have to find the silver lining. We have to believe we can make it through whatever is thrown at us and emerge better as a global society. But we can’t be apathetic. We can’t give up. We have to fight.
And that is probably the gift of this year. We’ve been given a massive wakeup call and now we must rise together and say enough! We want better and we’re going to get it – no matter which gormless fuckwit is elected into power anywhere in the world. Screw them.
We want change, and even if the change we seem so intent on voting for is the sort that divides and destroys, we have the opportunity to take the power back into our own hands, away from dickless politicians, and create the future we want for all of humanity together.
That’s what I’m going to fight for. You with me?
So what sucked and what was awesome for you in 2016? I’d love to know.
Yours, without the bollocks
Andrea
Graffiti on the wall, angry kid on a green background image courtesy of Shutterstock.
