So here we are 2020. This year was supposed to be everything! We lit up social media in 2019 with encouragement, high hopes, and well wishes. As we anticipated an ass-kicking start to a new decade, we wanted all the rah-rah shish boom bah and bells and whistles that came with it. Presumptuous? Maybe a little, but many of us were all in for a good year. The nation has been one big stressful, super intense mess lately, so a good 365 was far overdue, right? WRONG or at least so far; 2020 may not be what we hoped for.
While I should be blogging about my latest Netflix addiction, "The Circle" or dishing on how freaking adorable I think Lauren and Cameron are from "Love is Blind", instead, I can't get past how shitty this year has started and I have a few thoughts about it. Perspective, it's only March and most of us can agree, that describing this year as shitty would be a total understatement. Can we agree? Agreed. So lets dish about a few things that rocked my little millennial brain so far in 2020...
As the oddly optimistic person I am, I'll still be the first to admit that shit has gone haywire. This is probably the most confusing, nerve-wracking, disruption to the normalcy most of us have ever seen! Normally, I don’t sit around and reflect on all the bad things happening in our world; I am no 'Debbie Downer', I promise. Under normal circumstances, I would consider doing so, pretty self-sabotaging & counterproductive. However, maybe a moment of transparency & perspective wouldn't hurt. Meh. It’s kind of like writing a reflective piece about a moment in time, while still very much so living through it. Like words in a diary, one day I load up this blog and relive the moment… perfect description of my intent with this piece.
First, let’s talk Mother Earth, and the wreck we have caused:
The wildfires in Australia was my first big heartbreak observation of 2020. To me, that’s the place I envision on the postcards, the utopia ‘must visit’ on your bucket list, and the place that exemplifies all things tranquil and beautiful. When I heard the news, the researcher in me went wild with curiosity. I spent endless time on google blitzes, tears streaming, reading more and more about this tragic nightmare. Over 25 million acres burned and a jaw-dropping 1.25 BILLION, yes Billion with a capital B…. animals were lost. Do you understand what that means for their ecosystems? Even with my minimal (verrryyyy minimal Science background,), even I understand that the entire foundation of an ecosystem is based around connectivity. With the death and destruction scarred into the minds of us all, the biodiversity that Australia provides to the world is unreplaceable.
The Tragic Loss of Kobe Bryant.
It's not just the loss that sent ripples throughout the world, but rather the circumstances and tragedy that surrounded it. As a mother, the thought of living in this world without my child is unthinkable. To hear about the tragic loss of such an iconic American figure like Kobe Bryant and the equally tragic loss of 8 other beautiful souls, one being his daughter Gigi, it rocked me from the inside out. Families are torn apart forever to never be the same, all in the blink of an eye. Kobe died doing what he told us all he planned to do more of in retirement, being a dad. Tearjerker. Every. Single. Time.
Even to the most minimal sports fan, Kobe Bryant meant something to our generation. We all knew who he was, and we all agreed he was legendary- didn’t need to know much more. As a millennial, our generation has experienced some heartbreaking losses, but this one hit hard. Similar to the famous passing of Michael Jackson, everyone will likely remember where they were when they heard the news. When Kobe died, the initial rumors ran rampant. Was it true? No way, right? Cant be Kobe.
… Unfortunately, totally true. For the next few weeks, memorials and tributes flooded the airways. Often too hard to get through one interview or media story, for me, tears became synonymous with hearing his name. And his wife, Vanessa, oh, my word, bless her entire soul. The devastation and sadness I felt for her were one of the most authentic feelings I’ve ever experienced with and for a stranger. Her husband and her daughter, tragically killed is enough sorrow to put down the strongest of person. I have a daughter. I have a husband. It hit way too close to home.
From the Staples Center to the tributes around the world, at that moment, American society seemed to be overcome with a stillness that shocked and rocked us generationally. Another heartbreaking 2020 moment...
Meghxit: The Royal Way to Throw the Duces!
Well really need I say more lol. Now I get it. Some people are like “really”? Yes. Really. I had to add it to my list. But for the sake of those who fall asleep at the thought of the Royals, I will make it easy.
Prince Harry (the redhead cutie Royal) married Meghan, an American actress. People were shocked because well, she’s biracial and divorced. It seems fairly typical to me.... but THERE I guess it was just too much to swallow. It quickly became a double-whammy and for this reason, it ROCKED the Royals and became a 2020 story, a BIG ONE!
Though this doesn’t affect any of us on a personal level, it did, however, highlight race and social stigmas in the UK that unfortunately still exist; that’s the socially heartbreaking aspect. The Meghan and Harry “shake-up” proved that a princess doesn’t have to be white and that it's okay to have a diverse Royal family. As Britain continues to fight back against how they embrace identity and change, ultimately, they both decided to remove themselves from the Royal lens and instead take their chances on fate and each other. It was dishearting to see how oddly infatuated people were with free-will and interracial love..... bad look guys and gals, bad look. The media wrecked Meghan and painted her in a pretty biased lens. To me, they didn't leave these two much of a choice. Nevertheless, let's move on...
Though this doesn’t affect any of us on a personal level, it did, however, highlight race and social stigmas in the UK that unfortunately still exist; that’s the socially heartbreaking aspect. The Meghan and Harry “shake-up” proved that a princess doesn’t have to be white and that it's okay to have a diverse Royal family. As Britain continues to fight back against how they embrace identity and change, ultimately, they both decided to remove themselves from the Royal lens and instead take their chances on fate and each other. It was dishearting to see how oddly infatuated people were with free-will and interracial love..... bad look guys and gals, bad look. The media wrecked Meghan and painted her in a pretty biased lens. To me, they didn't leave these two much of a choice. Nevertheless, let's move on...
Last but certainly not least, COVID19 also known as Coronavirus
So, this one probably does not need an explanation, at least not one that I can give at least. As if this year wasn’t going awful enough, now we are witnessing a global pandemic of respiratory disease spreading from person-to-person. Something new, something scary, something unknown, and something that is impacting our country and our world, in ways I’ve never seen before. Here we are March, where the US is typically planning cookouts, preparing for our sports and cheering loud for our favorite teams. Those times are indefinitely on hold this year. Schools are closed, states are shutting down, and there is still so much more to learn about the transmission and treatment of this virus.
As the United States hangs on to the reputation of being one of the wealthiest and equip countries in the world, this tragedy has revealed vulnerabilities in our country’s infrastructure. Hospital and healthcare workers experiencing shortages, and many facilities unprepared to fill the medical demands. Effecting over 186 countries in the world, for the first time that I can remember, the world is facing the uncertainty that none of us were prepared to do.
Over 200,000 cases worldwide, and most children out of school until the foreseeable future, parents, guardians, and just about anyone else is kind of losing our minds. So much adjustment in such a little time. I encourage all of us to take time to consider the over 1 million homeless children in the United States. The impact on them is sure to be catastrophic and life-changing to say the least. During this time, think about the people that aren’t working remotely, that aren’t getting a paycheck, that can’t get unemployment, those that will lose their homes… times are tough and sure to get a lot tougher in the coming weeks.
Let us be mindful that we ARE in this together. It may not always seem that way, but we are. Be kind, don’t be crazy. Be aware but don’t be terrified; let’s all do our part to stop the spread. As the social media challenge goes, I stay home for my Veteran Grandpa with Emphysema. I never want him to be apart of a statistic. Think about the people around you, young and old.
Let us be mindful that we ARE in this together. It may not always seem that way, but we are. Be kind, don’t be crazy. Be aware but don’t be terrified; let’s all do our part to stop the spread. As the social media challenge goes, I stay home for my Veteran Grandpa with Emphysema. I never want him to be apart of a statistic. Think about the people around you, young and old.
2020 has been garbage so far, fact, fact, fact…. Totally unpredictable, hard to grasp and moving WAY quicker than anyone can keep up with. On the bright side, at least we can wake up to see another day; think about all the people that didn't get the same opportunity. PERSPECTIVE.
Let's all marinate in the hot mess that has become 2020 and just pray for a healthier, happier, and more unified
rest of the year. It's easy to assume that these recent series of events, can tarnish the entire year, but let’s just say… I hope not. We have 9 more months, let's talk some positivity in the face of all these scary uncertainties.
Be well my friends and until next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment