Hi readers,
It's hard to believe it has been a year since the Charlie Hebado shootings in Paris. Looking back, it feels like the shooting was the beginning of a hectic, shocking year of world events. Let's review with Endmemo (you classy, academic types can read the long, well-written version on The Atlantic website):
SpaceX Lands Rocket Successfully Makes Reuse Possible. (12-22-2015, 10 Records)
Climate Change Deal Reached by about 200 Countries. (12-13-2015, 23 Records)
Paris terrorist attack, hundreds dead. (11-13-2015, 35 Records)
Russian passenger plane crashed in Sinai. (10-30-2015, 22 Records)
Russia intervenes Syria civil war. (10-01-2015, 55 Records)
Flowing liquid water found on Mars. (09-25-2015, 12 Records)
Migrant crisis of Europe. (08-30-2015, 114 Records)
Earthquake 7.9 Magnitude hits Nepal. (04-24-2015, 91 Records)
Time and hindsight are valuable partners to put this past year in perspective. Looking back, I realize I spent the last part of 2015 terrified by the world around me. My perspective: There is too much going on.
Refuges. Terrorism. Earthquakes. Donald Trump.
It's hard to believe it has been a year since the Charlie Hebado shootings in Paris. Looking back, it feels like the shooting was the beginning of a hectic, shocking year of world events. Let's review with Endmemo (you classy, academic types can read the long, well-written version on The Atlantic website):
SpaceX Lands Rocket Successfully Makes Reuse Possible. (12-22-2015, 10 Records) Climate Change Deal Reached by about 200 Countries. (12-13-2015, 23 Records) Paris terrorist attack, hundreds dead. (11-13-2015, 35 Records) Russian passenger plane crashed in Sinai. (10-30-2015, 22 Records) Russia intervenes Syria civil war. (10-01-2015, 55 Records) Flowing liquid water found on Mars. (09-25-2015, 12 Records) Migrant crisis of Europe. (08-30-2015, 114 Records) Earthquake 7.9 Magnitude hits Nepal. (04-24-2015, 91 Records)Time and hindsight are valuable partners to put this past year in perspective. Looking back, I realize I spent the last part of 2015 terrified by the world around me. My perspective: There is too much going on.
Refuges. Terrorism. Earthquakes. Donald Trump.
What is our world coming to?!
Ugh. Pessimistic thoughts about the end of the world are not fabulous. However, they are copious and easy to process--popular criteria for mass existence in modern society. It's simple to focus on negative, sensationalist news. First--there is a lot of it. The world is a terrifying, imperfect cacophony with billions of people, not enough clean drinking water and too many dysfunctional hoverboards. Second--bad news sells. It's easier to provoke fear and anxiety than happiness. The things that make people happy vary tremendously. The things that make people anxious are more universal. (See list above. Except people do seem rather inexplicably divided about Donald Trump)
Looking back over an uncertain year, it seems important to consider some of the good things that happened in 2015. I started writing this blog again. I learned how to play Reveille on the piano. I now understand when it is appropriate to use the phrase "Me parece bien" in a Spanish conversation.
There are a lot of terrible things going on in the world. It's important to take time to remember the good so the bad doesn't get too overwhelming. The French community has done that with beautiful grace over the last 12 months. Take a moment today to be grateful for all that you have.
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