I was quite excited yesterday. Excited to scream GOODBYE to 2016, goodbye to friendships that don’t bear fruits, goodbye to tears buried in prayers, goodbye to overthinking, goodbye to lack of confidence, goodbye to uncertainty, goodbye to judging, comparing, and psychologically killing myself, goodbye to unhealthiness, goodbye to complaints, goodbye to laziness and procrastination, goodbye to dark thoughts, goodbye to (self-)hate(rs), goodbye to holding grudges, goodbye to my demons, goodbye to the lack of energy, goodbye to failures, goodbye to bullies… Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!

It’s not like I needed to wait for 2017 to wave goodbye to the year that just ended, but I couldn’t wait to close the 22nd chapter of my life and open the 23rd because what happened in 2016 belongs to 2016, and shouldn’t come up in 2017 (hopefully). I’m done sojourning back and forth to the past. I know it seems like I say goodbye to these things every year, but no. Every year is drastically different from one another and leaves its own mark imprinted on my mind. I never forget the lessons learned, the heartaches, the headaches, the love, the laughters, and the nights I felt alive; I tattoo them, memorize them, then later, write about them. History is meant to be recorded and remembered à jamais.

I was so excited until my mother, who was reading the news, came across a bad one: “Terrorist Attack in Istanbul on New Year’s Eve.” It hit me when I heard it: every year has always been the same. Yes, different situations, events, attacks, catastrophes, controversies, etc., in different countries, but in the end, history always repeats itself. I mean, I’m pretty sure, with some true and profound faith and hope, 2017 could differ from 2016. We might all have career opportunities, a complete change of life, or countless of fun with our loved ones this year, yet it is not easy to believe so when the year starts with 39  killed people in a nightclub in Turkey. Well, that’s quite a hello to 2017. 

We can all sip our cup of tea and discuss terrorism and racism and sexism very cozily, and conclude that the world will never change, it’ll stay the same, so what’s the point of hoping? However, the world has the possibility to change if we really want it to. It’s not enough to claim that we want world peace, equality, (financial) security, and happiness if we don’t do anything about it. We live in a world where people love money like it was promised in some kind of holy book that it would grant eternal life. In a world where we are ready to tear each other apart just to get what we want even when we don’t deserve it. In a world where Western citizens couldn’t care less about the endless wars people around the world live through because they are too comfortable in their white niche (plus, as long as they can eat their daily salad, start their morning with a Starbucks cup in their hands, go to the gym and squat like Nicki Minaj, and post a selfie worth a hundred likes, everything is fine). In a world where skin colour has been and will always be a debate. In a world where it is banned to say “Merry Christmas,” but alright to post pictures of our rears or chests on Instagram and call it “art” (so porn doesn’t exist anymore?). In a world where politicians know exactly what is wrong with their countries, but are too busy getting high on our tax money. In a world where… You get it by now, right? We are corrupted and continue to be because it is easier than to do good. 2017 could be better than 2016, but no one wants that, really.

I don’t mean to end this post on a pessimistic note. I just want us to wake up and set our priorities. Let’s use our talents for good, let’s turn to love, be consumed by it, and share it with strangers. We aren’t that different from each other, if only we knew, or cared to know. It’s not the world that we have to change, it’s our freaking selves. You don’t need to start your day with Starbucks and I don’t need to envy your success. Let’s just both smile and nervously laugh about how life passes by so fast, we’re already in 2017. After realizing death is (and has always been) near, let’s laugh again and make laughter contagious, from one person to another, until we reach 7 billion. At least, let’s just try.

Sur ce,

Happy NEW Year.