Hopeful
Hello world! I cannot believe it has been more than a year since I have last posted a blog. Actually, probably since the last time I have written anything at all which is odd for me to refrain from writing! I usually like to write mainly when feeling tremendous emotion about something and boy oh boy was 2020 FULL of emotions! What even was that?! Lasted about 12 months and 157 years!! I’m telling you the past year rendered me speechless and that is hard to do.
We were all so hopeful for this decade too. “2020 is gonna be our year!” Man little did we know, huh!
It started with the devastating fires in my home away from home, Australia. Burning down 47 million acres. Killing and displacing 3 billion animals. WWF called it the “worst wildlife disaster in modern history”. 2020 definitely should’ve stopped there, that was already way too much! (insert sound of shattering heart here)
From Megxit, to Donald Trumps first of many impeachments that he somehow keeps getting acquitted from and being his usual despicable, classless, disgusting, racist, bigot… Ok, I could be here all day naming him all the horrible things I think he is. So unfortunately, he was still president until some of the only GREAT news 2020 gave us of Joe Biden becoming the United States new president. Alongside him Kamala Harris, the first ever female/person of colour, Vice President (WOOT-WOOT) If you know me, you know how much I despise Donald Trump (and pls don’t come at me, everyone is valid to their own opinions)… I definitely did many jumps for joy the day he no longer was president and who knows if Joe Biden will do the best job either but I undoubtedly know he is way better than Mr. Trump!!
Then there was Harvey Weinstein’s finally deserved conviction. The whole Ghislaine Maxwell/Jeffrey Epstein atrociousness!! One of the main lessons I have learned from last year is animals TRULY are better than humans. Ok well, I already knew that but 2020 solidified it! If you don’t know much about Jeffrey Epstein, watch the documentary Filthy Rich on Netflix, it says it all. Gross!!
The many legends we lost… Kobe Bryant, I tell you everything went downhill from that loss. Kobe was the glue holding us all together!! Chadwick Boseman, Alex Trebeck, Little Richard, Regis Philbin, Diego Maradona, Sean Connery, Eddie Van Halen, Gale Sayers, Kelly Preston, Carl Reiner, Ruth Bader Ginsburg…. And that’s only naming a few! All the while, a deadly virus emerges and spreads from Wuhan China. As i’m writing this recap, it’s literally like i’m reciting a fiction novel or movie. Crazy, and there’s still more!
Stock market crash, murder hornets, locusts, Beirut explosion, west coast wildfires, the virus spreads, global lockdown and then… George Floyd. To be honest with you, the day that piece of garbage of a cop knelt on Floyds neck and killed him was the worst day of 2020 in my opinion! I cried! I have always been a lover of harmony, people getting along, being kind to each other, equality. Living in peace. Being sisters and brothers in this world of all different backgrounds because that’s what we are, but on that day it proved how horrible humans can be! There is no humanity in a very large amount of humans and I knew that. This isn’t the first time something so tragic has happened but in this day and age of technology, seeing it with my own eyes…. Heart shattering!! Yes, I am always one to talk about being kind to each other and I will live every day doing so myself but clearly not everyone will. That day broke my heart! Shattered that, I will say, naive hope I had for humanity. The hope of us all figuratively one day soon singing Kumbaya and being all in it together. Sorry to sound like a downer but, that is not the world we live in unfortunately! 2020 opened my eyes to that, what’s important and what matters. I am SO thankful that I was taught by wonderful parents to never judge, hate or be prejudiced to anyone, let alone because of the colour of their skin. It is MIND BOGGLING to me that solely because the colour of one’s skin, people get treated differently, horrendously and violently. I will never understand it, I will always fight for justice and will always prove that with my own actions! I will never treat anyone differently because of skin colour, age, gender, religion, sexuality etc until the day I die and I cannot wait for the day that we all feel that way! The fact that there are still many good human beings out there, keeps me slightly hopeful!! Education is key, in everything, from the second we start learning when we are babies until the day we are no longer on this earth. We are always learning or at least should be! I hope that mothers and fathers teach their children right from wrong! I hope people set in their ways educate themselves and learn because there is no question that racism, gender inequality, anti-LGBTQIA+ or any and all prejudice and injustice is WRONG! I can go on forever with this subject so I will leave it at that. Seeing the protests, the many people coming together from all different nationalities marching in the streets for the Black Lives Matter movement, all the people watching documentaries, reading books and getting more knowledge. All the solidarity… truly warmed my heart and made me proud. I was one of them and always will be!
What also has been making me pretty sad is this whole cancel culture. Are we not human anymore? Humans are imperfect. Which means we make mistakes, right?! Why is this a thing now that people are literally searching for things from years ago to break and tear someone down now in the present. I feel like as a people we should see how that person is now. Have they learned from their mistake? It’s one thing if the person is still horrible and keeps doing awful things or if the one awful thing they did was tremendously terrible to not forgive, but if they have made a mistake, learned from it and became a better human why are we tearing them down for mistakes of the past?! Are these people part of the cancel culture perfect and have never made a mistake themselves? Because that’s highly doubtful! How would you feel if that was you getting crucified for a mistake you made years ago, felt bad about it, apologized and learned from? It’s so heartbreaking to see people on social media being attacked and the horrifying comments on people’s feed. Do we not realize the severity of Mental Health disorders many humans have? More that 790 million people worldwide suffer from some form of mental health disorder. To literally bombard people on social media with horrible words and tear a human being apart, but then we wonder why our suicides rates are skyrocketing! It’s bullying to the worst degree and I for one do NOT stand for any kind of bullying. Where’s the compassion? Where’s forgiveness? It’s so devastating to see what’s happening to the world in many ways and sadly, it’s only getting worse! I truly hope for ourselves, our children and children’s children it someday gets better!!
We have currently lost 2.54 million to the Coronavirus. There are 114 million cases worldwide. How fragile life is! How easily life can change. In a blink! Who would’ve thought! I know I never thought this would happen. I have been off work for a total of 9 months since the first lockdown here in Ontario, Canada. It’s been tough! I love working, always have! Having purpose and stimulating my brain. Being a hairstylist I get to be social and talk to all different types of people, from all different backgrounds and all different walks of life. Listening to their life stories and if they’ve been my client for a long time, watching them grow up. Get married. Have children. First dates. New jobs. I miss being around humans! This time has definitely made me see what is the most important and what things I myself have taken for granted. Like even just going to work! I’m sure most of us feel the same way. Reflecting. Valuing the time we have now with family and being safe at home. My dog has been my saviour since the day I got him, in many ways, but truly has been this year!
We are literally all in this together, we always have been but now with Covid-19 we 100% see how true that is! I urge you to look deep within. Life is so fragile. Are we being the best we can be? To other humans and ourselves? Are we living the life we love? I am now thirty six and Lord knows time flew, especially once I turned thirty and I hear it goes faster and faster the more we age. Is there something we want to change about our life? That job that always felt out of reach because it was too much of a “risk”. That friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. A move that would better your future but you’re too scared to take the leap. That person who you could or should’ve treated better. Advocating for someone. I feel like 2020 was a year to open our eyes. Reevaluate, appreciate, educate, be grateful, come together, help others… be better! We need to better as a humanity!! Help those less fortunate than us! Stand up for people and what’s right! Be kind!! My heart might be hurting for the world right now but I will always have faith!
Black Lives Matter movies and documentaries that I have watched that I encourage you to as well:
The Central Park 5, The Trial of the Chicago 7, When They See US, Oprah’s: When They See Us Now, 13th, American Son, Selma, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, Slavery By Another Name, Dear White People, I Am Not Your Negro, Fruitvale Station, Time: The Kalief Browder Story, 12 Years A Slave, Just Mercy, The Two Killings of Sam Cooke, Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992, Cops And Robbers, Trial 4, Blindspotting
Peace, Love, Stay Safe & Be kind to one another xo