Happy New Year or Stink - Stank - Stunk?

Happy New Year or Stink - Stank - Stunk?

Social media: Filled with emoji's, likes, images of a dish cooked to perfection... and selfies. Lots and lots of selfies. Friend requests from “friends” you've never met and fake news. Not exactly the go-to source for intellectual conversation. However, what I think social media does excel at is monitoring the opinions, attitudes and emotions of 2.7 billion users and counting. That's a lot of duck-lips.

From COVID to politics to opinions on whether or not to blanket a horse...social media users are passionate and quick to debate their positions. We all know the main topics over the last year have been COVID and the election. I'm not sure which one is worse – but if I had to pick one, I'd take my chances with surviving the COVID. I'm afraid the chances of a person surviving the disease are far greater than this country surviving the direction it seems to be headed. Regardless – that's a whole different blog piece of it's own.

What I find fascinating is the attitudes and emotions emanating in post after post. People are scared. They seem compelled to anticipate 2021 to be “as horrible” as 2020...before the New Year even has a chance to prove itself. “If you think 2020 is bad...just wait for 2021!” “Now that 2021 is old enough to drink you better buckle up!” The sabotage is endless. I feel like the Grinch is alive and living on every electronic device clutched in the hands of all the little Who's down in Whoville.

I don't think I go through life with my head in the sand. I recognize the threats and scary things that surround us. Haven't they always been there? History is saturated with horrors: The Holocaust, countless plagues, epidemics, pandemics, wars, civil unrest, The great depression and famine. To name a few.

A person would be stupid to not realize the horrors are out there. What strikes me is the different way each person chooses to deal with it. Some are certain 2021 will make 2020 look like the golden age. “We're all going to be dead before it's over because you aren't wearing a mask!” Others hang back in a state of wishy-washy: It's probably not going to get any better...but maybe it won't get any worse? I'll just hide here in my safe place and let life pass me by. If people are still alive by the end of the year, maybe I'll step outside my plastic bubble.” Then there are those who choose the denial approach: “It's all just a damn government scheme to control the people. It's no worse than the flu. Masks don't do any good. I'm not wearing one and you can't make me!”

I fall somewhere between wishy-washy and total denial. Yes, I believe the disease is real. I believe it is contagious. I believe I can catch it, if I haven't already, and I believe that I could die from it. I don't believe masks help stop the spread of it. I will wear a mask if the business I choose to support requires me to wear one. I will not allow the government to tell me who I can visit on Christmas and how many of us can gather in public or private. I believe it is being politicized and I believe that somebody is making a shit-load of money off the thing.

What I can do, is choose how I react. I believe we all can. There is and always will be uncertain times. It is a fallen world we live in. The Grinch is out there. He will find your house...he may crawl down your chimney and steal your Christmas presents, your Christmas decorations AND your Christmas tree. What he cannot steal, unless you let him... is Christmas itself.

The New Year is no different. We can lock all our doors, mask our faces, glove our hands and douse ourselves in Purell. It won't matter – the Grinch is still out there. What we can do is choose how we react to him. I'm not suggesting we all join hands around the jubilation tree swaying and singing. That would be weird and some of us can't carry a tune in a bucket.

What we can do is refuse to believe that 2021 won't be better than 2020. We can focus on the positive ...and there are a LOT of positives in these times we live in (hot and cold running water. Indoor plumbing. Charmin TP!). The Grinch couldn't steal Christmas from Cindy Lou Who and he can't steal New Years from us. Believe that and you will make your own New Year great...despite what the Grinch's of the world try to feed you.

CHOSE TO MAKE THIS THE BEST NEW YEARS EVER!

 Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome New Years, come this way!
Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome New Years, New Years Day!