Fare thee well, 2020
Oh 2021,
Long have we been awaiting your arrival.
The dust from New Year Eves is settling and ahead of us is a Himalayan-sized mountain range full of treacherous inclines, slippery slopes, and the unexplored territory of what it means to be a human in the 21st century.
2020 has shed light on a number of nasty issues in America.
We are a country full of hate and bitterness.
We are a country full of racism.
We are a country that would rather fight each other than fight for the greater good.
We are a country where it has become commonplace to yell rather than listen.
We are a country that is suffering due to corrupt leaders.
We are a country of depressed people, who are mentally and physically ill.
We are people.
We matter. Our lives matter. Our voices matter.
We have the technology to have self-driving cars and spacecraft that can mine asteroids, but we have people in our country who do not eat every day. There are people who wear the same clothes every day and are homeless. We have people who are sick. Mentally sick. Emotionally sick and spiritually sick. No one looks their way. No one cares while we suffer and die.
Our private medical system is overrun by corrupt companies who seek profit over health. Our public education system teaches for funding instead of the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake. Our government is torn and deeply divided; concerned with personal motivations over obligations to the people they swore to protect.
How do we go forward?
How do we tackle race inequality?
How do we feel safe and communicate effectively when we do not agree with opposing people or opinions?
How do we grow?
I think the true question needs to be… Who are you and what do you want to be?
I’ll write down my own answers while encouraging you, yes you reader, to answer that question for yourself. I believe in the power of the individual. It is the individual who creates changes in their world, and so too, the world around them shifts.
I want to inspire. I want to share my stories and to be heard. I want to direct my energies into areas of life that serve others and the greater good. I want to build a community of like-minded individuals who work together to encourage the artistic pursuit. I abhor the saying “you can’t make a career out of art,” and will actively fight against that notion as long as I live. It is through art that we can find new connections and build trust with individuals from vastly different backgrounds than our own.
There is nothing to fear what we don’t understand.
On a final note, a strange tendency of social media over the last several years has been the “Fuck [insert year #### here]” memes and posts. I am especially annoyed by these posts this year since it’s not the ‘years’ fault for what has happened to us, it is our own as a collective. Everything that has occurred this year is a consequence of our actions, not a sentient 2020 monster hellbent on making our lives miserable.
I will say this— Karma is a whole different beast.
Happy 2021 Y’all!
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