2017 wrap up

I could talk at length about everything that went wrong in 2017. I could broach the topics of racism, fascism, egos, capitalism, corporatism, hate crimes, and still would not have scratched the surface of all of the worlds problems in 2017. But alas, I am not going to do that. Instead, I will be talking about the lessons from 2017.

I learned how to reject people and not feel bad about it. It seems weird but it is a vital skill in life to have. Learning to say no because something doesn’t make you happy is a weird lesson to learn at 22, but one I learned this past year in my attempts at dating. When someone doesn’t treat you with respect or they just do not bring joy into your life, it is ok to tell them that you wish them the best but you are going in a different direction. How they react is not your problem, it is theirs.

I learned how to pick friends better. This relates back to the previous lesson, but this year has been one of many friends who flaked too often and me not taking it anymore. It is exhausting chasing after friends who treat you like garbage or don’t cherish the effort you put in, so this was the year where a lot of my friendships ended. They aren’t bad people by any means, they just need to grow up a bit more.

I learned a lot more about racism in the United States. I think when you are white it is expected that you do not have any awareness about racism or because you do not directly experience it, people of color (rightfully) assume that you do not get it. This year, I got the wake up call from the riots and the protests and the speeches and the personal traumas. I woke up this year.

I learned about my tolerances. I can tolerate immaturity in teenagers and younger kiddos. I cannot tolerate disrespect and lying from adults and my peers. I cannot tolerate behavior that I think is disruptive to positive changes and lessons. I learned a lot about my limits this year.

2017 was a year of growth and understanding. There were many moments that I wished to be anywhere but this planet, but I am glad for the small wins. I think we all lost a bit of our naivety and we gained knowledge and understanding. Hopefully this will be the start of something powerful in regards to changes we see in the world. I hope that the people in my life can apprecaite and accept the changes that I have made in my life, but I guess this is just a thing I tell my therapist.