Goodbye 2021. Will Twenty Twenty “TOO” Be More Of The Same?

Here we go again.

I’m looking at the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, watching Wake Forest and Rutgers duke it out. I take a moment to scan through the channels to see if there is anything I want or need to watch besides football.

Nope. Nothing.

Most every channel is filled with “Best Of…” episodes, highlighting the year’s best and worst for their respective shows. Other channels are talking about resolutions for the new year.

By the way, it’s “new year”. Not New Years. New Year’s Eve and (Happy) New Year, because there’s only one coming year, not several. Just thought I’d make that clarification.

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the new year (no “s”) and our annual pledges to change.

And what exactly are you changing or promising to do? Are you going to lose weight? I hope you’re going about it the right way. I told you how I felt about that in an older blog: Leave Resolutions Alone – Make Personal Business Plans. Are you going to save money? Will you look for a new job? Leave an abusive or dissolving relationship? Renovate? Stop smoking/drinking?

Whatever you decide, good luck with that.

But while we’re on the subject, I hope you don’t mind me asking. How fed up are you with the outgoing year? Are you complaining and posting memes and animated gifs about leaving another dreadful year behind?

I remember all of the posts from last year at this time – about getting out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the former administration, the rise in blatant racism, violence and so forth and so on…

We were all so eager to see the end of these things.

But here’s the kicker…

Nobody did s*** to make it happen.

Everyone was so caught up in what they were doing to improve their own lives (to little success for many) that we forgot about society and the world as a whole. True, you have to rake your own leaves before helping clean up the neighborhood – but who actually went on to Step 2? Picking up the trash in the streets.

I’ll tell you what I saw over the course of 2021:

• More attacks on people because they look different than you.
• More suicides by teenagers because they were harassed for their sexual and/or romantic choices.
• More cars running red lights, further out from the light change. I, myself, was struck by an impaired driver back in May.
• More active shooters in malls, schools, stores and former places of employment.
• More random shootings in my community at bus stops, gas stations, restaurants etc. One woman sat in her car at one of my favorite soul food spots and was shot several times by five men who just ran up to her car and opened fire.
• More attacks on restaurant workers because you were frustrated about delays in service (News Flash: They’re understaffed because fewer people want to work there, because of people like you. I might blog about that later.)
• More kidnappings.
• More cases of 911 calls of false accusation because people believe that a claim of a “minority assailant” is readily believed and acted upon.
• More “Will Work For Food” signs.
• More cases of child molestation and sex trafficking.
• More Road Rage.
• More internet challenges resulting in serious injury or death.
• More COVID-related sicknesses.
• More COVID-related deaths.
• More fall-aways from faith and God.

In case you haven’t figured out what I’m saying, let me just come out with it:

In my not-so-humble opinion, we need to take self-improvement seriously and get it done immediately and continuously.

…THEN…

We need to stop believing that the problems in and of the world are not in our wheelhouse.

Stop stepping over starving/bleeding bodies, reaching up for help. Stop ignoring the activity(ies) of children that might be indicative of future violent/homicidal behavior. Stop allowing the internet and the streets to raise our children. Stop expecting schools to raise to our children, while they continuously attack teachers and facilitators for trying to restore and maintain order in the classroom (because YOUR bad-ass kid doesn’t have any home training). Stop excusing those leaders who preach division, superiority and hate; vote them out of office! Stop striking out at organizations when policies and procedures have been implemented for the protection of others. STOP ATTACKING HEALTHCARE WORKERS!!!! Stop worrying about what others believe and practice, especially when it doesn’t concern or negatively impact you.

Speak out, report and stop those who you know are involved in those actions and philosophies.

Start helping one-another, as I mentioned last month when I blogged about “checking on your friends”.

Be kind. Be considerate. Be supportive. Be involved.

Be the change you want to see in 2022 and stop shaking your head about it.

Happy New Year…

…I hope.

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And oh yes, thank you all, each and every one of you, for your support this year. I love and appreciate you so very much.