I have to say, despite its
bad press, that 2016 has actually been kind to me personally. I have had some
fabulous times with family and friends, I still love my flat, I finally left the
job I had been doing for over 10 years and didn’t like, and started a fantastic
job, which I love. My health and weight is not totally sorted, but I am working
on it. Finally, I have realised that I can be totally happy without a man in my
life, and this is a good feeling. When I do meet someone suitable I know that
they will have to be someone who can enhance my life.
Sadly this year has seen
many deaths, not just celebrity deaths, though there has been so many of those, but deaths closer to home. Many of my friends have lost people this year and my
heart goes out to them. It must be very hard when life goes on around you but
you feel like your life has been irreparably altered in a bad way.
We have all noticed the
huge numbers of people in the public eye who have died this year and I am not
sure if it is a lot worse than normal or if social media has just broadcast
these deaths in such a way that it seems more real, more tragic, more part of
our lives? Maybe it is a combination of both? In a time where news is spread
online, especially by social media, it may seem like life is worse because we
know so much so quickly, so vividly and in so much detail, however, this year
has been relentless.
We have also seen some
ridiculous political mistakes in 2016. Firstly we saw the stupidity and nastiness
which accompanied Brexit; a country divided by a referendum. We then went on to
witness mass insanity as Donald Trump was elected president of the United
States. A vile, racist, misogynist who openly promoted sexual assault! (My
personal opinion.) I dread to think where politics will go in 2017, we can only
wait and hope. We have seen the war in Syria escalate and millions of people
dying, being injured, losing their whole lives and everything they lived for.
The saddest thing I have
seen this year is the video of a professor from Aleppo basically saying goodbye
to the world. As far as he was concerned the world had abandoned his country
and his people and massacre was imminent. This professor was using, what seemed
to be, a mobile phone to record and broadcast his message. This showed me that
he once had a job as a professor, he had a mobile phone, and he was just like we are. What is there to stop
this happening in Britain, in our lifetime? (It seems unimaginable, but maybe
it did to the professor from Aleppo?) We need clever, strong, articulate,
decisive people leading our country. We need people who are there for all
people of all classes. I can’t imagine who would be like this, I can’t think of
who would be able to do the job, but I do hope there is someone who will step
up.
Sadly social media has
played a part in the way people look at life. I certainly have spent far too
much time on it in the past and, am ashamed to say, changed my Facebook profile
picture to a sad one after a relationship ended. I would never do that now, but
cringe that I ever did.
Don’t get me wrong, social
media has a place in our modern lives, especially in keeping people connected who
live in different countries. It is good for highlighting issues and making
people laugh, but it must not be the ONLY way that people interact. There is
nothing as good as sitting having a cup of coffee or a meal with friends and
talking face to face.
I personally have taken
off most of the pages and groups I followed on Facebook, deleted many people
and am trying to put less on there. I had got into the bad habit (don’t ask me how
it started) of putting on FB who I had coffee with, who I went walking with,
which night out I had been to, who had come round for dinner or coffee and this
was boring me, so it must have been boring others. I have stopped doing this
after a discussion with a friend who had really studied the effects of social media
on teenagers. It really made me think about things that I had been pondering for a while.
I do have to say that one
thing that needs to stop on social media is making people feel guilty enough to
“like” or share things. Liking a post will, sadly, not stop someone having a disability
or cancer. No one should beg for likes because they are old or ill or want
sympathy. No one has a need to show how fast a post can travel round the
world......it’s been done to death. Lastly, be careful what you share on social
media. If the police put a lost child/ person post I will happily share it,
however, a personal post may not be what it seems. Someone may not be allowed
to see a child for valid reasons and they could track them down through social
media if a picture was shared. If you know the person who put the original post
and know it is genuine, that is not a problem. The same goes for potential
criminals, share police posts only, what if it is someone with a vicious
vendetta rather than a genuine post.
There is a fantastic piece
online from a man called Simon Sinek. It is called Simon Sinek Explains the Millennial
Paradox. He discusses the younger generation,
what they expect in life, their upbringing and how technology affects them. It
is really worth going on to You Tube to watch. I only saw it a few days ago but it has
made me think even more.
I think my message for
2017 is to think before you do anything, think of the impact on other people,
the planet, and life in general. Be sensible but also have fun; be responsible but
also be happy. Live your life to the full while still considering how it will impact those around you.
Happy New Year
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