UNITED STATES—Well in several days, we will bid adieu to 2016, and welcome 2017 as we kick of the New Year. For some, 2016 may have been a great year, for others 2017 may not have been the best. One thing that is important to note is reflecting on the good, the bad and the so-so during a year which brought tons of media attention across the United States.
For starters, 2016 was a year where multiple terrorist attacks transpired throughout the world from France, to Belgium, Germany, to Brussels and so many other regions. The one thing that should be shouted to those so called terrorists is that no matter how hard you attempt to break one’s spirit; the will to survive and endure is greater than anything they could have ever expected.
There were also scandals in the political arena people, none bigger than the Flint Water Crisis in Michigan. The fact that the people in Flint are still suffering months after the revelation of such blatant lies and deception from the government is a complete travesty! Yes, officials are now ‘investigating’ and tacking on charges to those who may have played a role in the crisis, but in my opinion no bigger culprit stands than Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. I don’t care what he says, there is no way in HELL this guy had no idea what was transpiring, none whatsoever, and if he doesn’t face some sort of legal sanction for his failure to adequately do his job, shame on him and all the legal titans out there who are more worried about getting re-elected than seeking justice for the people who were wronged.
We lost so many, and I mean so many famed musicians in 2016. From Natalie Cole to David Bowie, to the great Prince, whose death literally shook me to the core! They say celebrities die in threes, and in 2016, we lost so many greats, it’s hard to fathom that Florence Henderson, Alan Thicke and Zsa Zsa Gabor are no longer gracing the world with their presence.
Nothing may have stunned Americans more than the revelation that Donald Trump, yes, the business titan and the guy who hosted the NBC reality-competition series “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice” will be the new President of the United States. I guess it means that if you set your sights on the prize, nothing can stop you from attaining that dream people, nothing. While the election process was quite contentious and chaotic at times, I can’t recall a time where I saw SO MANY people energized and fueled to vote and understanding just how important their role in the political arena is.
I think we learned so much about ourselves as the New Year dawns on us, as well as when the year nears the end. I never imagined in a gazillion years that I would head back to school to focus on my master’s degree. Yeah, being out of the classroom for nearly 10 years is a daunting task people, but I melded back into things without a hiccup.
Beyond dealing with family issues, growing older, making financial strides and encountering the good, the bad and the ugly from 2016, I will admit I have been anticipating the arrival of 2017 for quite some time. There is no better way to toss out all the things that worried you in the past year than to look towards all the great things that could be right around the corner. I can’t wait to kick off 2017 with a bang, and no I’m not referring to gunshots, I referring to being the best possible me that I can be!
