Every year I post an article around winter holiday season. An article on the current year that is coming to an end. And since it came to be a tradition on my blog, I will do it this year as well.
2017.
The worst year of my life.
I can't say that I ever had an all rounded positive year in my life thus far. There have always been extreme lows and downs even in my best years.
But 2017 was the first year that didn't entail any ups, any good times, any accomplishments, any moments I'd like to remember.
It's a year I wouldn't mind being erased from my memory altogether.
My physical and mental health were challenged to the extreme; I was in a very unhealthy living situation; a lot of my relationships with loved ones were challenged; I had to quit my job; I had to return to my home country and be cared for; I had to start all sorts of different medication with unpleasant side effects; I had to see many doctors and face harsh realities concerning my health; I had to come to terms with the fact that my decisions had an impact on others, sometimes extremely negative, even though I had no other option but to make those choices; and lastly, I had to accept that I could never be the person that I used to be again.
But apart from my personal struggles, this year, the world has gone to shit.
The situation in the Middle East keeps getting worse and people are losing their homes, their loved ones and their lives because of it; Trump is the worst thing that could have happened to USA; Israel keeps detaining and imprisoning Palestinian children; Russia keeps abusing lgbt+ persons; Brexit is the worst thing that could happen to UK since Thatcher; pollution and climate change are getting worse and worse and people still want to believe the Earth is flat and climate change isn't real; North Korea is becoming more dangerous and unstable by the day; the economy is utterly fucked and we've reached the ultimate "the rich become richer and the poor poorer" point in humanity's history; cybercrime has reached new levels; corruption keeps flourishing; far right and nazi groups are getting more and more power everywhere on the planet; natural catastrophes are fiercer and more destructive than ever; all sorts of terrorism is blooming, causing fear and being manipulated by the ones in power to install fear and discrimination in people's minds; rape culture, misogyny, sexism, lgbt+phobia, body shaming, racism, islamophobia etc. are thriving in real life and through social media; the quality of public healthcare is declining in most countries... I could go on and on and on, but then even 10000 pages wouldn't be enough.
Therefore, you can't blame me for wishing -and may I dare say hoping- for 2018 to be better, more positive, a year I -and we- will want to remember.
I understand the concept of time doesn't work like that though. Each year is a continuation of the previous one, time is linear. We have created years, months, days, minutes to make our lives easier. It's not as if each year is a circle, independent and separated from the previous years, and the years to come. However, I personally see time as a spiral, rather than a flat line, but this isn't the place to analyse my thoughts on the matter. Bottom line is, all years are connected.
Nevertheless, I can still chose to enter 2018 with new energy, new expectations, a new approach and a bit of hope.
Happy New Year everyone!
2017.
The worst year of my life.
I can't say that I ever had an all rounded positive year in my life thus far. There have always been extreme lows and downs even in my best years.
But 2017 was the first year that didn't entail any ups, any good times, any accomplishments, any moments I'd like to remember.
It's a year I wouldn't mind being erased from my memory altogether.
My physical and mental health were challenged to the extreme; I was in a very unhealthy living situation; a lot of my relationships with loved ones were challenged; I had to quit my job; I had to return to my home country and be cared for; I had to start all sorts of different medication with unpleasant side effects; I had to see many doctors and face harsh realities concerning my health; I had to come to terms with the fact that my decisions had an impact on others, sometimes extremely negative, even though I had no other option but to make those choices; and lastly, I had to accept that I could never be the person that I used to be again.
But apart from my personal struggles, this year, the world has gone to shit.
The situation in the Middle East keeps getting worse and people are losing their homes, their loved ones and their lives because of it; Trump is the worst thing that could have happened to USA; Israel keeps detaining and imprisoning Palestinian children; Russia keeps abusing lgbt+ persons; Brexit is the worst thing that could happen to UK since Thatcher; pollution and climate change are getting worse and worse and people still want to believe the Earth is flat and climate change isn't real; North Korea is becoming more dangerous and unstable by the day; the economy is utterly fucked and we've reached the ultimate "the rich become richer and the poor poorer" point in humanity's history; cybercrime has reached new levels; corruption keeps flourishing; far right and nazi groups are getting more and more power everywhere on the planet; natural catastrophes are fiercer and more destructive than ever; all sorts of terrorism is blooming, causing fear and being manipulated by the ones in power to install fear and discrimination in people's minds; rape culture, misogyny, sexism, lgbt+phobia, body shaming, racism, islamophobia etc. are thriving in real life and through social media; the quality of public healthcare is declining in most countries... I could go on and on and on, but then even 10000 pages wouldn't be enough.
Therefore, you can't blame me for wishing -and may I dare say hoping- for 2018 to be better, more positive, a year I -and we- will want to remember.
I understand the concept of time doesn't work like that though. Each year is a continuation of the previous one, time is linear. We have created years, months, days, minutes to make our lives easier. It's not as if each year is a circle, independent and separated from the previous years, and the years to come. However, I personally see time as a spiral, rather than a flat line, but this isn't the place to analyse my thoughts on the matter. Bottom line is, all years are connected.
Nevertheless, I can still chose to enter 2018 with new energy, new expectations, a new approach and a bit of hope.
Happy New Year everyone!
